Drop of a Hat
by semazani
Summary: Everything can change at the drop of a hat. How will Nell move forward when her world shifts in a way she could have never imagined? I am listing this as M due to the theme - VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN. Please be advised. I changed it to just a Nell centered story with a side of Deeks...as friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes – Not mine. Just borrowing.**

** MATURE THEMES AHEAD! This piece talks about violence against women. Please be warned if this subject is going to cause issues, then please do not read. Triggers are possible if violence has touched your world. **

** Please read and leave comments. Any and all are welcome. I am still unsure about whether this should be posted, but thought I would put my worries aside and see how it is received. If this story is not of interest to you, please feel free to check out my other two pieces are am working on….both are multi-chapter and in various states of completion (neither are finished as of yet)…Drug of Choice and What Now? **

The likelihood she can keep going at this pace much longer is dwindling at a rapid pace, especially in light of what happened. How it has come to this she has no idea. It's like a bad dream that she can't get away from; except she is always awake. The thing is stuff like this doesn't happen to women like her. Really if you think about it at any length; she's a genius who works for one the most covert organizations around. She knows better, god knows she does. All the rationalization that she has heard through her twenty some years on the planet have given all the information needed to avoid these situations. Hell, she could quote all the ins and outs. None of that matters though.

So, she hides; because that is an easier thing to do. The other choice, to talk about it, would cause so many repercussions that she is having trouble justifying. Of course, she can come up with all the justifications under the sun for what is happening and why. The reasons are textbook and she knows it. The reasons would also be blown out of the water by most who she tells, so she stays quiet.

At the end of the day, her job is demanding. It takes her away. A lot. That's a hard thing for anyone, let alone the man who is in a relationship with someone in her position. She doesn't tell him what she really does; she can't. The late nights and the overnights have convinced him she is lying to him. The thing is she is lying to him. That's the part that gets her when she tries to come up with anything other than she has no right to question him when he accuses her.

How can she really expect him to understand if she can't share everything with him? That's the crux of the problem. He gets mad because she is gone til all hours, no matter how much she insists that there are no other reasons for it other than work. What the hell kind of TV news editor works the schedule she does? None. That's why nothing she says matters.

She knows she can't tell him the truth, but she also wonders if ending things is really fair. The first few months were magical. Everything a woman dreams about. Great guy with a good job that was willing to do anything to make her happy. That's the man she was starting to grow more and more attached to; she couldn't really say she loved him, but there was definitely something there that kept her coming back. Who knows, maybe it was just the normalcy she was craving. People all over the world have lives outside of work, why not her?

Then things got crazy at work. The last two weeks have had her at the Mission more than at home. Between work in ops and going on-site to various locations, she has been gone so much. The first couple days he was understanding and sweet. Then he started getting frustrated. He picked fights. Argued with her and made sure she knew it was because she was never there.

By the end of the first week, the first accusation came from his mouth. She had to be sleeping with someone else and he was going to have none of that. He grabbed her arm so hard when she told him to go to hell that she yelped in pain. Shaking her hard, he made it clear that she had better be home by dinner. Of course, she wasn't. It was closer to midnight. When she came home finally, he was so livid that it scared her.

He screamed at her that night for the first time by the beginning of the second week. She was so shocked by his reaction that when he pushed her against the wall on his way out the door she couldn't even think. Thinking back the way her head hit the wall probably didn't help her ability to think clearly. It was the first time she almost called someone.

She picked up her phone as the tears streamed down her face, but stopped short of dialing. What exactly would she say? The man she is dating is pissed because she is always at work. He overreacted because he thinks she is lying. All of those things were true. She was gone a lot and she was lying to him. It falls directly on her. She put the phone down and went to bed after locking her front door.

The next couple days were not any easier. She was gone the entire night following him shoving her and when she finally got home late the night after, he is waiting for her. The look in his eyes gives her all the information she needs to know. He is beyond pissed. She swears she can see him shaking he is so mad. Trying her best to seem happy to see him through the exhaustion racking her body, she smiles as she reaches her door where he is waiting.

Then it all goes wrong. Really, really wrong. She tries to talk to him and he shoves her into the wall outside her apartment. His hands are so tight against her arms that she can't move. She is officially scared. Without even thinking it through, she kicks him in the shin as hard as she can. That does not help her cause at all. He responds with a backhand across her cheek and another hard shove into the wall. Then he is gone.

She feels herself slide to the floor as she tries to process what the hell just happened. It doesn't make any sense. He didn't even give her a chance to explain before he reacted. One part of her knows she has to leave now, but another part of her thinks maybe if she did things differently their relationship will go back to where they were before. She picks herself up off the floor and goes to the only place she knows he can't find her. The Mission.

By the time she arrives back at work it is well past midnight. She settles back into her chair with a sigh, trying to push all the thoughts out of her head. Sitting in the dark allows her a peace she can no longer find once she leaves. Now what? There is no way to hide the bruise on her face. The bruises on her arms can be covered. She is also well aware that lying to the team won't work. There was no way she wants them to know the predicament she has herself in, but she also knows she is kidding herself if she really thinks she can fool them.

Getting up from her place in ops, she goes to the locker room to shower. Maybe that will clear her head enough that she can think clearly. She purposely undresses away from any mirrors unsure that she wants to actually see the damage inflicted. It's easier to forget if she doesn't look, right? After the shower, she will deal with reality.

Standing under the steady stream of water, she lets the heat calm her tense muscles. As she leans back to get her hair wet, she experiences a sharp pain as the water makes contact. She hisses loudly and jerks her head out the path of the water. For the first time since the incident, she places her hand on her head attempting to determine the damage. She pulls her hand away from her head and sees blood. Well that changes things a bit, doesn't it?

She has no idea what the wound looks like that is causing her head to bleed. Trying to determine the next course of action, she decides the shower may well be a bad idea. Although she hasn't really felt dizzy at all, she is a bit concerned she could pass out from whatever the hell is happening with her head. She turns the shower off and dries quickly with the nearby towel. Getting dressed in clothes she had in her car, she sits on the bench as she ponders who to call.

Her options are pretty simple. One of her team; she just isn't sure which one to call. Mentally going through the list she tries to determine the best choice. In the end, she quickly eliminates some while trying to decide between the remaining members. So it comes down to three, just which one will make things the easiest remains to be determined.

Taking a deep breath, she makes the call. A couple of rings go by before a groggy voice answers the phone clearly having just been woken up. They don't use her name, so she figures they must have not even looked at the caller ID before answering. She briefly loses her nerve and almost hangs up before she hears her name being called into the phone. Evidently, they chose to check after she didn't respond and she now has no choice but to speak.

"I've got a slight problem; can you meet at the Mission as soon as possible?"

**Ok…so this is obviously a touchy subject. It was actually what I started as my first story moving to What Now?. I wasn't so sure this was a good idea for my first piece and honestly am still not so sure about posting it. **

**I do realize this probably could be seen as out of character for Nell, but it is something that touches everyone; regardless of their gender, intelligence level, societal status, income level, or any other niche they may fit in. It's much easier than most give credit for to fall into a relationship that goes from ideal to bad without warning or understanding. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes – Disclaimed…not mine. **

** Here is chapter two…really having issues with this story and it's slightly frustrating me. I have to say writing for Deeks was difficult. Hoping it's more my lack of being completely well (battling a chest thing right now) than indications of things to come.**

** Please, please, please read and comment! I have no clue where this is going and I have zero written ahead for it. It's all off the cuff and it's happening a lot slower than the other stories are. **

** Thanks to everyone who has responded up to this point and for those who have put this story on alert. I really hope it can meet some sort of expectations. It just doesn't feel quite right yet…thinking it's the topic though.**

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The response is quick, but confused. "Sure, give me ten minutes." Dragging himself out of bed, he runs his hands across his face. Peering around the room, he gathers some clothes and throws them on quickly. Considering the time it seems whatever is going on must be serious. Nevermind the fact Nell never calls him to just hang out; especially in the middle of the night from work. Her calls are always about a case.

Pulling his car into the lot, he makes a mental note that no one else's vehicle is there. He isn't entirely sure what that meant, because he just assumed the others would be there as well. Thinking back to the words she spoke, he is beginning to question exactly why she called him. There would no reason to pull just him into a case, so what exactly is going on?

Walking into the Mission at night is slightly eerie. All the hustle and bustle of the day is gone and the only sounds are his feet as he moves through the building. Completely unsure where exactly she is at, he heads for ops. Seems to make the most sense, right? Of course, the more he thinks through things, none of this is making a whole lot sense.

Going through the automatic doors, it is immediately clear she is not there. The whole situation just isn't sitting right with him and if she would have been in any other location, he would have already secured his weapon. But this is the Mission. No one can get in there without having the proper access. As he pulls his phone out to text her, he hears her voice calling him from downstairs. "I'm in the gym!" Putting his phone back into his pocket, he moves in that direction.

Still feeling a bit on edge, he pulls his weapon from its holster and moves slowly through the door to the gym. He sees her figure standing in the corner of the gym and makes a quick visual sweep of the premise to set his own mind at ease. "You good?" The question is meant to alleviate the edge he is feeling.

"Been better." That answer did not alleviate the edge. Feeling a bit ridiculous at the thinking someone could have broken into this fortress, he tries a different question as he continues walking slowly towards her. He hopes this one will make things more clear. "You here alone?"

"As long as you don't count yourself, then yes I am alone." Nice, a smart-ass response. Just what he needs to hear at this hour. Shaking his head and laughing, he holsters his weapon and comes up behind her. Relieved that it was just his imagination getting out of line, his mind refocuses on why she called him.

"So…what's up?" He sees her put her head down ever so slightly and he realizes she is making no move to turn around. Walking around her body so he is now facing her, he tries the question again. "Nell? What's…" He stops when she brings her face up to meet his.

"What the Hell!" Moving her closer to the window to use what light is coming in there, he attempts to get a better view. Not satisfied with the lack of ability to see, he grabs her hand and moves them both towards the closest light switch illuminating the gym.

Turning to face her once again, he takes in the swelling and bruising on her face. She laughs nervously and shrugs as she speaks, "Would you believe a door?" She had hoped that would lighten the mood, but it failed to have the effect she had hoped for; at least past the first part of his response.

"Sure, Nell! Just as about as quickly as anyone would believe I'm a super agent with no first name who can scare the hell out of the some of the most hardened criminals I've met by simply narrowing his eyes and survives on little to no sleep."

He takes her face gently in his hand trying to assess the damage. It's really just a delay tactic as he tries to figure out why she called him instead of the police. Obviously, they should have been the first choice.

"Still waiting for the explanation." He was getting impatient now.

"Ok. Bad day. Or rather couple of weeks. Apparently I am not to be trusted, which is kinda funny because I have been lying. But that's par for course, right? I mean that's what we do; we lie to those who care about us under the guise of protecting them. Seems kinda…."

"Right, so you're rambling." He figures the interruption might well reset her brain waves because at this point he is getting nowhere quick. "How 'bout this. Let's get more specific. What happened to your face? As in, what exactly caused the damage?

"A hand." She says it like she is ordering sushi or something. Completely calm and with no regard to the fact that it isn't everyday that someone's hand would leave a mark like that, especially on Nell's face. Take him or another one of the team and it's likely. Not her, though.

"Who's hand, Nell? And why the hell was someone's hand causing it?" This is becoming a lesson in patience he isn't sure he can handle at this point. It's late. He was woken from a deep sleep and nothing is making sense.

"Well." She drags that out in a way that he already knows isn't going to lead to a revelation. Gesturing to her face, "Just so you know the main reason I called you here wasn't for this." Turning around she points to another injury. Seeing the dried blood forming from what he assumes is a cut on the back of her head, he turns her back around to face him.

"You were mugged, right? Feel free to tell me that at this point, because it would be better than the scenario I'm coming up with right now." It is blatantly clear to him what is happening, but he really needs to hear it from her.

"No. I wasn't mugged." She lowers her head and he can tell she wishes that was what actually happened. It would make this conversation a lot easier.

"Nell, we have to go to the hospital. You need to get your head checked out. They are going to need to document your injuries. You need to talk to the police." Watching her shake her head back and forth, it's becoming clear this is going to be a fight. "Why did you call me? Why not someone else from the team?"

She takes a breath as she looks directly into his eyes and offers her explanation. "Because I knew you would know what to do and you would be calm about it. I knew could document everything without me having to actually report anything right now. You can check out my head and see if it's worse than I think it is. I can't go to the hospital. And I'm already talking to the police." She finishes off by pointing her finger at him.

It's his turn to shake his head, "Nell, that's not the same and you know it. You have to report this. Some guy has obviously laid his hands on you. I don't know how long he has been doing this, but you have to report this."

He watches her for some sort of acceptance of what she needs to do next. Just as he thinks maybe she is coming around, the opposite happens.

"It was a mistake to call you. I should have just taken a couple of personal days and let my face heal. Sorry I bothered you in the middle of the night. I'll handle it from here." Turning on her heels, she heads out the door before he can even respond.

"Nell, wait!" Moving quickly out of the room, he catches up with her in the bullpen area. "Wait. Nell, c'mon. Listen to me." He reaches out and grabs her arm, then drops his grip just as quickly when he hears her take a sharp intake of air. The disruption in her stride gives him the chance to move in front of her effectively blocking her from leaving.

"Ok. Apparently you have more injuries than I have seen." Taking a breath while looking up to the sky for some sort of divine intervention he is well aware won't be happening, he comes up with an idea he thinks maybe she will go along with.

"Here's what we are going to do. And you don't get any more choices here, just so you know." He is looking her directly in the eyes now as he explains what will be happening. "I will document your injuries. All of them. Then we will go from there."

She nods her head knowing that this is probably the best offer she is going to get. She knows this should be documented; just the same as she knows she should go to the police. Nell also knows she has to think about the ramifications on all fronts. She is an intelligence analyst for an elite group that she can't admit to being a part of. An investigation will just put too many wheels in motion that will need to be backstopped and forged. Possible? Yes. Necessary? She isn't convinced.

Reaching for his phone and activating the camera feature, he begins by taking pictures of her face. Her eye is still swollen and the bruise is turning several shades of various colors. She has to admit, it hurts like a mother too. Moving from her eye to the back of her head, he documents the injury there. It's a pretty small cut with a good bit of swelling, but nothing that requires medical intervention. He knows the injury had to have come from a slam into a wall, but doesn't say anything to her. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, she will give him all the details so he doesn't have to assume or guess.

Now the arms; she has kept those hidden up to this point. Nell knows there are multiple bruises and they are all in different states of healing. Taking a breath, she removes her cardigan and lays it on the nearest desk. She turns around facing him as her bruises give a visual timeline of the last two weeks.

"Holy Shit!" He is shocked to see the number of bruises. There has obviously been more than one incident and he is finding it much more difficult to hide the anger he feels looking at her. Realizing his reaction is fueling embarrassment on her part, he pulls her into a soft embrace before continuing. "I'm sorry, Nell. God, I just didn't expect that. I promise you though it stops now; even if you never report. He won't touch you again."

Pulling out the embrace, she nods her head sadly. "It really wasn't all him, you know. I have been working so much the last couple of weeks and I've been gone til all hours. You know why he is so mad? Because he thinks I'm lying to him. And I am, so what right do I have to say he can't be mad?"

Seeing the tears forming her eyes as she tries to shoulder the responsibility for his actions, he takes her face in his hands. "No. This is not alright, Nell. Never is this alright. Even if you were lying to him, he had no right to lay his hands on you. You have to know that. This is not acceptable for any reason." The tears are now freely falling and he feels so far out of his element.

Finishing up the pictures of her injuries, he gives her a reassuring smile. Assuming she won't want to go back to her apartment, he tells her she can crash at his place for as long as she needs. After he hands her the key to his house, she excuses herself to use the bathroom before they leave.

Dropping unceremoniously into the chair at his desk, he rubs his hands through his hair as he tries to figure out how this is all going to play out. He leans his head against the back of the chair trying desperately how come up with something tangible. It's going to require the others knowing, but he knows she is not willing to tell them just yet.

"I really am sorry for all this, Deeks." Jumping slightly and laughing at her Hetty-like skills of sneaking up on people, he shakes his head. "Nothing to be sorry for. Not a thing." As he rises from his chair and they start to walk out of the bullpen, they hear a voice. Deeks looks at Nell as her body freezes in fear.

"What are you two doing here this early?"

Using his body as a wall of sorts, he moves towards the voice as she follows his path effectively blocking any view of her face. When they reach their destination, Deeks pushes Nell past the figure quickly so as to avoid any interaction. Looking to face questioning blue eyes, Deeks clears his voice as he speaks.

"Callen! Wasn't expecting you at…" he pauses to look at his watch. "5 am." Wait, when the hell did that happen. It doesn't seem like that many hours had passed. Between the documentation and the random conversation, time has flown by.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes – Not mine.**

** Here we go again. Another chapter. I have been focusing on this story for the last twenty-four hours. It is coming a little easier and, frankly, I'm afraid my groove may get thrown off. **

** Writing more dialogue is a challenge, which I had anticipated going into this idea. I'm thinking that's part of what is making this a little slower than the other two stories. **

** Anyway, enjoy and review! I really do appreciate it and it can change the flow of story depending on perceptions offered. **

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"I believe I asked first, Deeks. And where is Nell going in such a hurry?" Callen is giving him that look. You know, the one that says I-know-you-are-up-to-something-so-fess-up. Deeks is slightly frightened that the next look will add the before-I-kick-your-ass ending he is trying to avoid. Hoping comedy works this early, he opens his mouth to speak only to be interrupted.

"G? Deeks? Why are you two here so early? What's up with Nell? She about knocked me down as she flew out the door." The appearance of Sam surprises both men, but hopefully Deeks is hoping him being there will work to his advantage.

"Hey Sam! What is this National Come into Work Early Day? Cause I gotta tell ya, I don't remember that on my calendar." Deeks grins widely as he silently prays his ruse distracts them from any further questions.

"You're annoying, even this early man." Turning to address Callen, Sam tries again, "I'm here to finish the report I left on my desk last night. What's your excuse, G? Wait, let me guess! You couldn't sleep. Am I right?" Sam grins slightly at the smaller man.

Callen looks at his partner returning the grin, "You've got me all figured out big guy! Why even ask anymore?" Putting his hand out to stop Deeks as he attempts to sneak away mid-conversation, Callen addresses him once again. "So, Deeks…why exactly are you here? And what was up with Nell."

Figuring he couldn't get lucky enough for Kensi to interrupt the conversation, he takes a breath before answering Callen. Looking between the two men and feeling a bit like he should be in the boatshed on the other side of the table, "Nell called me to help her out with something." Shrugging his shoulders, he makes a move to get past the human wall in front of him.

This time he stopped by both of their hands on his chest. "Not good enough, Deeks. Why were you meeting Nell at Mission this early in the morning and why did she bolt as soon as we got here?" Both men are staring him down and he is pretty sure the part about kicking his ass just got added.

"Look, she needed to talk to someone and she called me. End of story. It really isn't anything to make a federal case about." When that last remark doesn't lighten the tension, Deeks straightens his posture hoping he may seem a little less intimated by their gaze. It's one thing to bullshit a suspect or go undercover, but this is Sam and Callen; they are a completely different scenario.

The two men take in what he says and seem to buy it. At least for now. Bullet dodged. He knows there will be more questions to come. "I'm gonna run home and shower. See you two at a less obscene hour." Deeks waves as he leaves the two men standing in the bullpen.

"Was that weird. I mean even for Deeks. Cause it seemed weird to me?" Callen is looking at Sam with inquisitive eyes.

"Yea. That was weird. Nell about knocked me down she flew by me so fast." Both men ponder what happened for a minute before Sam speaks up again. "You don't think anything is going on between the two of them, do ya G?" Sam meets Callen's eyes.

"Nah. I mean, seriously. Nell and Deeks? No way. He's too stuck on Kensi; everyone knows that, right?" Callen turns his gaze from Sam's as he considers what was said. It's a crazy notion.

Both men make their ways to their destination and try to get some work done. Sam works quietly on his report, while Callen attempts to catch up on paperwork. Every once in awhile, they look at each other and simply shake their heads.

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Pulling into his driveway, Deeks is thankful he got away as easily as he did. He is certain not all escapes are going to be that way. Walking up to his front door, he moves through it looking for signs of Nell. Her car is outside, so she is obviously somewhere in his house. Not catching any sight of her, he looks outside.

He sees her sitting on a chair with her knees up to her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them. Not being able to see her face does not eliminate his ability to tell she is struggling. Making enough noise to alert her of his presence, he walks up behind her, "Hey."

She looks up at him and apologizes. Again. "Sorry I left you back there. I figured you would come up with something." Deeks decides the apologies really need to stop. There isn't any need for them.

"You really don't have to keep apologizing. Nothing that has happened is your fault." He hopes to see some sort of confirmation in her eyes and is bothered when he receives none. How can it be this hard for her to see? She is genius level. He shakes the thought away as fast as it enters his mind knowing that abuse knows no boundaries and can touch anyone. He grew up with it. He saw what his mom went through and knows firsthand how someone can be broke down.

"What did you tell them?" Seeing her hold the breath she just took, he figures she must think he told them what happened. He really is trying to avoid him telling them if at all possible and hopes he can convince Nell to do the telling sooner rather than later.

"I told them you wanted to talk to someone and you called me." She exhales the breath. "Did they believe you?" It can't be that easy, she knows that. This is Callen and Sam afterall. You can't blame a girl for hoping though.

"A bit." He makes contact with her eyes as he continues, "They suspect something. Though, right now, they wonder if something is up between me and you. Like maybe we were doing something not fit for the workplace." Her reaction isn't exactly what he expected.

She starts laughing. A lot. And loudly. Honestly, it's pretty infectious. "Thanks! That doesn't hurt at all." Deeks holds his chest like he is wounded. "The idea of you and me is that funny, huh?"

"No…," taking deep intakes of air in an attempt to calm herself. "…it's not that. Ok. Well, maybe it is that. I mean seriously Deeks. You and me?" He joins her in laughing because, if nothing else, it takes the tension down to a manageable level.

"I'm taking a shower. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen, though take-out would probably sustain you more than the items you find in there." He walks back into the house and heads towards the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Deeks moves back into the living room and sees Nell sleeping on the couch. Covering her with a blanket, he orders Monty to lay on the floor by her and walks quietly towards the front door. Seeing her phone as he approaches the exit, he decides to put it on silent so she can get some much needed rest. Taking one last look back at her sleeping frame, he hopes she will be more open to sharing what happened when he gets back from work.

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Trying to dismiss the absurdity of walking towards the bullpen for the second time this morning, Deeks hears his partner's laughter as he comes around the bend. "Starting without me again, are ya!" Sam, Callen, and Kensi all look over at their co-worker and just shake their heads while the laughter subsides. Feigning dejection, Deeks shakes his head, "Man, I miss all the good stuff."

Before any of them have time to continue their bantering, Eric appears on the balcony beckoning them with one of the shrillest whistles he has found to date. They all stand quickly, hoping to stop the offending noise, and move towards the stairs. After appearing in the ops center, Eric begins to speak.

"So, we have another case. Apparently, the Gods are pissed or something." They all understand his weariness. It has been an insane two weeks already with every minute being some sort of crisis or case, mixed with a touch of sleep here and there. As he finishes the brief, Callen poses a question he had held since walking through the doors.

"Where's Nell?" Callen looks confused because he knows she was there early in the morning, so it doesn't make much sense that she would have stayed home. It's possible she is feeling under the weather he supposes, but she wouldn't have sprinted out without saying something about that.

"Uhm…no idea. She didn't call or come in yet. I tried calling and texting her. Just waiting for a response." Eric shrugs as he speaks. He knows it isn't like her to just not show up, but he is far from being worried something happened citing the crazy couple weeks.

Sam and Callen exchange looks, then both look over to Deeks. "What? Why look at me?" He knows he better come up with something; especially in light of the fact her phone is on silent and she won't be getting any messages anytime soon. The last thing he needs is Callen sending someone to check on her.

"Well, maybe the fact that she was here early this morning…with you." Callen points for emphasis, then continues, "It stands to reason you would have some idea where she is now." Callen is giving him the are-you-an-idiot look and Deeks has to admit he probably deserves it.

"She's fine, guys. Having a stressful couple weeks is all. Just trying to let her catch up on her beauty sleep." Deeks really hopes a simple explanation will suffice because otherwise things could get a lot stickier. He knows she isn't ready for the whole team to be brought in on this quite yet.

"What exactly was going on this morning, Deeks?" Sam folds his arms across his chest as he speaks. Kensi is officially confused by the interaction, "Ok…what did I miss?" Glancing between the three men she waits for a response.

Locking eyes with his partner, Deeks tries a quick explanation knowing he will have to give her more information later. "Nothing, Fern. Just Nell needing someone to talk to and these two interrupting." He motions between Sam and Callen to emphasize his point.

"What, wait why would Nell call you? I mean no offense, but you're a guy. Girls generally only talk to guys they are close to and that doesn't exactly describe you two. I mean Eric would have made more sense than you." Kensi looks even more confused than before the explanation.

Sam and Callen, arms crossed, turn their attention back to Deeks nodding their heads slightly as they wait for further explanation. Kensi is right; Eric would be a more likely choice than Deeks if she needed someone to talk to about the last couple weeks. Shifting uncomfortably under the gaze of his team, Deeks is getting an up-close view of what a suspect likely feels when under interrogation by them. He is quickly coming to the conclusion that he going to have to start playing hardball in order to keep her confidence. He isn't one to break a confidence and he certainly won't start with her. Almost as if on cue, his words are stopped by the appearance of Hetty.

"Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna, please find your way to the crime scene and see what you can determine." She gives them a look that tells them they have no room to argue and they leave immediately. They both glance at Deeks on their way out making it clear they expect his explanation as soon as they are all back together.

"Ms. Blye, please help Nell and Eric look over all the forensics. See what you can find. There has to be something we aren't seeing." Nodding her head, Kensi moves quickly to join the two on their search.

"Mr. Deeks. Join me, please." Originally feeling relief at the sight of their fearless leader, he is now apprehensive as he knows there is no way to keep her in the dark. Even if it was only be for a short time. Following her out of ops, he takes a breath as they walk towards her office.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes – Not mine!**

** Clarification time – I haven't been responding to reviews/comments because it seems rude to not answer them all. I am not so sure I am up for that task, especially with three stories going at once. That being said, I wanted to clear up what I hope was ****not**** the impression others got from one of the lines. **

** alix33 – The comment that Deeks made about not making this a federal case was simply a play on Callen and Sam's jobs as agents. It was in reference to them inquiring as to what Nell and Deeks had talked about. He was making light of their jobs as agents and trying to lighten the curiosity. The comment was about Deeks and Nell talking, not the abuse. **

** Again, I do not want to make light of domestic violence in any way at all. Thanks to all who have commented and thank you to alix33 for bringing this possible misinterpretation to light. I will be much more careful in future chapters with making things clear. **

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Sitting in the chair, Deeks remained quiet intent on letting Hetty take the lead with the conversation. For once, he was not really interested in speaking and he determined now was not the time to play the funny detective card. They remained locked in a momentary game of silence as Hetty bided her time.

"Mr. Deeks," finally starting the conversation much to Deeks relief, "You know, as well as everyone in here, that I have a way of knowing everything that is going on with my team. Based on this knowledge, would you care to explain what happened between yourself and our young analyst?" Hetty leans back in her chair and waits for a response.

Deeks hopes to some phantom spirit that what he is about to say doesn't come back to bite him in the ass. "Nell called me with a problem and asked me to meet her at Mission late last night or early morning; however you would like to look at it. She is having a rough time right now and needed my assistance." Leaning back against his own chair Deeks, mirroring Hetty's posture, silently prays to any entity that may be listening that she will let it go at that.

Watching him carefully as if she is reading his thoughts, Hetty takes a few moments before continuing, "I had already gathered that information from listening to your interactions with Mr. Callen and Mr. Hanna this morning. I was more interested in the meat of the problem if you will, Mr. Deeks." Hetty is now leaning forward with her elbows firmly placed on her desk.

"Ok. So, I would love to share all the juicy details with you. Really, I would. If for no other reason than I am slightly afraid for my safety right now. But…" Deeks pauses at this point hoping that his loyalty will impress her. "I promised Nell I wouldn't share what she told me with anyone."

Locking eyes with the detective, Hetty inhales deeply and straightens her small frame to her full height while her clasped hands come to her face with her pointer fingers resting against her lips. Deeks holds his breath confident in his decision, but slightly concerned with the possible repercussions.

"Your loyalty is admirable, Mr. Deeks. I do appreciate that Ms. Jones feels comfortable enough to confide in you. She must have known you would hold true to your word and not break her confidence with anyone. But I have to tell you, I'm not exactly just anyone." Hetty is now giving Deeks that look; the one that says compliance is expected.

"Sorry, Hetty. I won't say anything unless Nell gives me the green light." He is officially breaking a sweat now. Enough so that he may well need a shower if the conversation goes much longer. Never in his life has he wanted to hear Eric's beckoning as much as he does right now. The proverbial saved by the bell would be amazing given the look he is receiving currently.

Hetty focuses all her attention on Deeks examining his demeanor. Trying to determine if a brief period of trust is the best course of action, she inquires a bit further, "Am I to trust, as well, that you have everything you need to ensure Ms. Jones has the necessary resources to rectify her problem, Mr. Deeks. And that if you do indeed require the assistance of me or one of the team, you will have no problem speaking up."

Looking equal parts shocked and relieved at the turn the conversation appears to have taken; Deeks takes a breath as he nods his head agreeing to the stipulations offered by Hetty. "Absolutely Hetty, I have everything I need right now to help Nell. I will have no problem asking for help from you or the team if we need it. I am working on getting Nell comfortable with the idea of sharing with you guys when she is ready." He stops short of thanking her for this apparent golden ticket and waits to make sure he isn't just assuming he is in the clear.

"Very well then, Mr. Deeks. For the time being, I am going to trust you have the situation under control and allow you some time to work through this with Ms. Jones." Hetty is now sitting comfortably against the back of her chair as she excuses him from her office. "Please join your partner in ops and contact Mr. Callen to determine what your next course of action for the day will be."

Still a bit shocked, Deeks pauses in his chair as he tries to process what was just said. Looking back at Hetty once again to make sure it really is safe to leave, he moves quickly when she confirms with a nod of her head followed by, "That is all Mr. Deeks."

Walking away towards ops, he shakes his head at his good luck. He knows Hetty trusts him, but he fully expected she would have insisted he tell her what happened. While he knows he would not share what was said, he wasn't entirely sure what his next move would have been. Thankfully, he didn't have to find out. Maybe the day won't be so bad after all.

**Author's Notes Take Two!**

** Ok…so that chapter is much shorter, but I figured leaving it just with the conversation between Hetty and Deeks was a better plan. I have nothing on my agenda for tomorrow, so I will do my best to update with another chapter to make up for this short one. **

**Comments and reviews always welcome! Thanks to all those who have read this story. I really am glad you all are enjoying it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes – Not mine.**

** Another short chapter; at least short in my opinion, but something is better than nothing, right? I was hoping this story would just writes itself much like the other two are doing, but it is taking a bit more work on my part to get it to an acceptable level. I have to say what was frustrating at first has now entered the challenge mode and I will come out on top! **

** I am slightly enjoying having to put more effort into this piece, so I have been concentrating more on it than my other stories. I will be updating those soon, so don't worry about that end of things. What Now already has the next several chapters written, they are just waiting for me to read through and make corrections. Drug of Choice is waiting patiently for attention, but I'm not worried because I have the structure already planned out!**

** Enjoy as always. Please read and review as well. I appreciate each and every one of you taking time out your lives to read my stories!**

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So much for the day being good after all; it culminated with a shoot-out courtesy of suspects that were finally located after a whirlwind of missteps and wrong information sent the team in circles for the better part of the investigation.

Sitting down in their chairs, the group looks like they just need a stiff drink and a warm bed. Seriously considering leaving the paperwork for another day, the group decides they just want the case closed and push through their exhaustion to finish everything needed to put the case to rest. Thankfully, Deeks had managed to exchange a series of texts with Nell in the middle of the chaos, so at least she was up to speed with the conversation he had with Hetty.

Completing the necessary forms quickly Sam and Callen leave with a wave of the hand and simple see you later, which leaves Kensi and Deeks finishing their paperwork. It was probably a good thing the day went as it did because it meant no questions had been raised in reference to Nell's absence and Deeks knowledge of it.

Looking exhausted, Kensi stands wearily letting Deeks know she has completed her forms. "I'll see you tomorrow Deeks. Have a good night and try to get some sleep. You look really tired." Lacking the energy to do much more, he waves a hand while nodding his head indicating he hears her. He wants nothing more than to crawl into bed after he takes a hot shower and sleep for the next twenty-four hours.

Finally finishing the last of the forms, Deeks rises from his seat and walks to his car. Once seated, he pulls out his phone to call Nell. Inquiring as to how her day went and letting her know he is on his way home; he starts down the road making a pit-stop at a local restaurant to pick up take-out.

Nell's day was pretty boring and she thanks her lucky stars this isn't how her days are normally spent. She determines being home for very long is not really what she is cut out for. Sure, the occasional day off is nice, but not spent the way she has used up the last several hours. Her day was spent trying to figure out what exactly the next step is going to be and how to tell the team what happened.

She knows they will find out even if she tries to hide it and she feels bad that she put Deeks in the position of covering for her. The thing is she doesn't want the team to get in the middle of the situation and she knows they will likely do just that. Figuring maybe Deeks will have a better idea on how to discourage the team from overstepping their bounds; she just needs to find the right time to talk to him. She is hoping he isn't too tired to deal with the conversation tonight, but she knows the day has been horrible, so she decides to wait until she sees him to determine the timetable.

Arriving at his place in a short order, Deeks plods slowly across the living room stopping in the kitchen to deposit the food on the counter. Calling out for Nell, he starts getting plates ready for dinner. As he finishes up, Nell walks into the kitchen giving him a quick glance as she tries to decide whether this conversation will wait til morning.

Sitting down to eat, Deeks comes to the conclusion that Nell has something to tell him and she appears worried as to when to bring up whatever it is. "What's on your mind, Nell? Cause you look like you really want to discuss something, but aren't so sure about bringing it up." He's tired as hell, but he knows better than to let the moment pass if she is ready to talk.

Nell looks at Deeks and briefly considers blowing the conversation off, "Nothing, it's fine. We can talk tomorrow. I know today was really hard and you are exhausted." Deeks gives her a look that changes her mind and makes it clear there is no need to wait.

"OK; if you insist." Deeks nods letting her know to continue. "I feel bad that you have had to deal with Hetty and the team. While I know they have to be told and I need to do that sooner than I probably want to, it's important to me that they don't take over. They are going to want to go after this guy and make sure he doesn't come near me again, but I need to be the one to finish this. Not them or you."

She watches to see to if she can read anything from his reaction, but isn't really sure what is going through his head. Giving him a second to respond, she moves to clear the table rather than just sit and stare at him.

"You realize that it was all I could do not to push you for the name of this guy because I am all for giving him a taste of his own medicine. I backed off because I know it isn't going to help the situation and I trust you are going to do the right thing. That's why I documented everything and at least put it on an unofficial record of sorts. I am not sure everyone else is going to drop it so easily and give you space to figure things out." He moves up beside her as she starts the water for dishes.

"I know Deeks and I really appreciate what you have done. This has to be my way though. I need you to help me convince them of that. You understand where I'm coming from and gave me space when I asked. I just want the same concessions from them that you have gave me." She looks at him with a resolve that she hopes proves how important it is to her.

"I get it Nell. I really do. Anything I can do to help you out, I will. You know that. When are you planning on talking to them?" He is secretly hoping she doesn't want to have this conversation tonight, but realizes that if she does, then so be it. Who needs sleep anyway, right?

She lets out a small laugh as she sees the pleading in his eyes that she is pretty certain he doesn't even realize is there. Shaking her head she answers. "Not tonight. Which I'm pretty sure you were worried about it." He lets out a breath of relief as he nods confirming her suspicion. "Tomorrow morning. I was going to have a meeting in the morning with everyone. Let everyone get some sleep tonight."

"Sounds like a plan. Any way I can help, just let me know." He gives her shoulder a squeeze as he turns to leave the room. "I'm gonna grab a shower. You take my bed tonight and I'll take the couch. Try to get some sleep. I know tomorrow's gonna be rough for you." With that he is off to get a change of clothes before locking the bathroom door behind him.

She had briefly considered insisting he take his own bed for the night, but she knew it wouldn't have worked even if she had tried. Finishing the clean-up in the kitchen, she moves to his bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she takes a deep breath anticipating the day ahead of her and wishing that it didn't have to happen.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Notes – Nope…not mine.**

** Chapter Six is up! I am enjoying having a day to write. Kids are off at school and I have no appointments today. It's been a rather enjoyable time! I would love to give a general idea of the number of chapters to wrap this up, but I am not entirely sure yet where it's going. I have a general outline in my head, but haven't decided if all of what I'm thinking will be added.**

** Thanks to all who continue to read. Also, thanks to those who have put me on their alert list and are following this story as well as my others! Much appreciation! **

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Waking after a fitful sleep, Nell stretches before rising to get the day started. Realizing that she has no clean clothes with her, she decides she is going to have to drop by her place in order to get ready for work. She turns and makes Deeks bed, then moves to the living room quietly. As she peers over the back of the couch to see if he is still asleep, his voice sounds from the kitchen startling her slightly.

"In here Nell." How he knew she was up is beyond her, but she suspects the fact that he heard her should be a given when dealing with someone of his training. "You want coffee?" She walks into the kitchen to see a much more rested Deeks. Looking at her watch, she is surprised he is dressed and seemingly ready for the day.

Taking in her expression, he simply shrugs as he speaks. "I figured we were going to have to go by your place to get you ready for work. Didn't notice any bags around here and I doubt wearing my clothes would work out in your favor." She laughed at the image flashing in her mind of Deeks' clothes hanging on her small frame.

"No…that wouldn't exactly work would it? Give me a couple of minutes to get my shoes on and we can head out. You want to just follow me? That way you can have your car if you need it later." She moves out of the kitchen as she speaks.

"That's fine. Let me take Monty out real quick, and then we can go." He moves swiftly out to the backyard lets his dog have a few minutes before returning to the living room. "You ready?" He is trying to remain as casual as possible to help alleviate the tension he knows she must be feeling.

Nodding her head, she follows him out the door and gets into her car. Looking in the rear view mirror out of habit, she is slightly shocked at the image she sees. The bruise from where she was hit is now fully formed and rather impressive in size. The swelling has subsided for the most part, but she definitely looks like one of the team after a mission gone wrong.

She notices Deeks waiting for her to back up and realizes she has been staring at her reflection for longer than she should be. Easing down the driveway, she takes the lead on the drive to her apartment and hopes the day goes as smooth as possible.

Arriving at their destination, she leads Deeks to the front door. Unlocking the door and moving to go inside, she notices Deeks isn't following. Poking her head out the door and following his gaze, she notices something for the first time. There is blood on the wall by her door. It's probably a good thing that she has no neighbors currently because someone would have certainly called about the stain. It's not a large amount but it is there nonetheless.

"Uhm. Wow. I didn't even know that was there. All I could think about when I left was going somewhere he wouldn't find me." Locking eyes with Deeks, she knows he wants an explanation as to what happened. Figuring it's the least she can do after everything he has done for her lately, she takes a breath before she continues.

"When I got home that night he was waiting for me in the hallway. He was so mad, Deeks. I tried to talk to him. Tell him anything to calm him down, but he didn't even listen. He wouldn't let me talk at all." She looks off like she is replaying the moment in her head as she continues, "He grabbed me by the arms and shoved me into the wall. He had a hold of my arms so tight, it hurt. I got really scared at that point and kicked him in the shin as hard I could. I just wanted him to let me go." She looks up at Deeks like she is trying to convince him her actions were justified.

Moving to stand in front of her, Deeks pulls her into a soft embrace and urges her to finish telling him what happened. "It wasn't your fault, Nell. He should have never laid a hand on you or grabbed you like that. He deserved the kick and I'm glad to hear you fought back." He pulls her from the embrace but keeps his hands on her shoulders as a way to encourage her.

Nodding ever so slightly, she continues speaking. "He wasn't so glad I fought back. Right after I kicked him, he hit me with the back of his hand across my face and shoved me into the wall. Then he left. That must be what the blood is from; where my head hit the wall." She feels her eyes stinging with tears and shakes her head in attempt to stop the flow. "I'm going to take a quick shower. Give me thirty minutes and I should be ready to go."

Leaving Deeks in the hallway, she moves into the apartment. Taking a deep breath and trying not to lose his temper, Deeks pulls out his camera and takes a picture of the wall to have in case it is needed later. While he is aware that it would be better to get a sample of the spot to prove it is indeed Nell's blood, but he knows she won't even consider the possibility.

Moving into her apartment, he looks around at her belongings. Hoping to find a picture of the man in question, he starts peering around at a bookcase that is interspersed with trinkets, books, and frames. She looks so happy in all the shots and he can't help but wonder how much this experience is going to change her outlook. Finding a picture on the shelf that may well be him, he turns upon hearing her enter the room.

"You're right. That's him." Walking up beside Deeks, she takes the picture from the shelf as she explains the background. "It was taken about three weeks ago. He surprised me with a day of relaxation. That picture was taken by an old couple who insisted on putting the moment on film because we looked so happy and it reminded them of when they had first started dating."

Looking at the picture for a second longer, she hands it to Deeks knowing he will likely just grab it on his way out the door anyway. "I know you're going to want this, so I figure it's easier to just hand it over now." She looks at him with sad eyes that confirm the battle she is still struggling with in her own mind. "We really were happy, you know. He was sweet and considerate. I just don't understand how things changed that fast."

Not really knowing what to say, Deeks gives her a quick hug. She takes one last look around the living room making sure she doesn't need anything else, then moves towards the door. It's going to be a tough morning and she knows it's going to take a lot of convincing to keep the team at bay. Next stop. The Mission.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Notes – You know the drill…that's right…not mine.**

** This will be the final chapter for tonight; something about a group of kids that arrived at my house calling me mom that has me unable to write anything else for now. Hope you enjoy! Comments and opinions welcome as always.**

** SnoopGirl69! Ack! I'm so sorry to prolong the suspense! I was planning on writing both parts of this, but then my crew came home and that ends the ability to focus on anything else. I will most definitely have it completed by tomorrow! It will likely be afternoon, but it will be done! **

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Nell walks into the Mission with a sense of dread like she has never felt entering the doors. It's almost overwhelming and she pauses immediately after taking her first steps through the doorway. All of a sudden she isn't so sure this is a good idea. Watching as Deeks gets further ahead of her, she speaks before she loses her nerve.

"I don't think I can do this. It's a bad idea. There is no way I'm going to convince them to stay of it. No way at all. I mean, really Deeks, what was I thinking." She is now bordering on panic; her voice getting more and more anxious as she lets her mind wander.

Turning around, Deeks closes the gap between the two of them quickly placing a hand on either shoulder as soon as he reaches her. "You got this Nell. It's gonna be fine. Just explain to them the same as you did me. Are they gonna be mad? Yes, but they will keep it in control the same as me." He offers her a reassuring squeeze as he conveys what he is feeling.

Shaking her head back and forth, she isn't so convinced. Deeks takes control of the situation deciding that he isn't going to let her back out of this conversation. "I called Hetty on my way here. She is waiting to talk to you before you tell the team. I let her know you wanted to meet with everyone and you were ready to share what was happening. C'mon, let's get moving before the others get here." He takes her by the hand and leads her towards Hetty's office.

Coming around the corner, he notices the frame of their leader and gives Nell a final squeeze of the hand hoping it will boost her confidence just a little. Seeing them approach, Hetty retreats to her office and waits for them to enter. Offering a chair to each of them upon their entry, she sits behind her desk and begins.

"Ms. Jones. Mr. Deeks. I hope this morning finds you well." She takes in the first full view of Nell's face as the young analyst meets her gaze. Ever the master of illusion, Hetty's external cues give nothing away while her internal cues are firing every alarm able to be located. "I trust that Mr. Deeks has been beneficial to helping you find a solution to your problem."

Locking eyes with Hetty, Nell wanders why she is suddenly so intimidated by the woman in front of her. After careful consideration, she realizes it's not intimidation she is feeling. She is worried Hetty will be disappointed in her for getting in this kind of position.

"Deeks has been amazing. Despite my being pretty uncooperative in taking him up on any kind of suggestions, he has been more of a help than I think he realizes. I haven't really allowed him much room to follow protocol for something like this." Seeing the look on her face, Nell is suddenly aware that Hetty expects confirmation of what is being assumed. Taking a breath, Nell gives the short version hoping to avoid too many questions.

"I have been seeing a guy for the last several months. It's been getting more serious and he's been coming over to my place a lot more frequently lately. The last couple weeks have been a crazy ride of late nights and overnights here with work which he had not really seen before. He accused me of cheating and has been getting more…" Nell struggles with the wording as she tries to make this sound not nearly as bad as it is. "Hands on lately. He has grabbed me a few times and pushed me one other time before the latest incident. The other night when I called Deeks things had progressed to a more dangerous level. He grabbed me pushing me into a wall and when I tried to stop him, he hit me. Then he shoved me into the wall again and left. I came here and called Deeks."

Taking it all in with careful consideration of what words will sound the least intrusive, Hetty finally speaks. "I will assume, from what you have said, that the decision was made to not bring this to the attention of the authorities. While I am sure Mr. Deeks tried to convince you otherwise, I am fairly certain you used any number of reasons why it was not a good solution; the least of which would likely to have had something to do with not bringing unwanted attention to the team."

Attempting to interrupt Hetty, Nell is met with a raised hand on behalf of her boss that indicates talking is not an option. "Let me assure you, Ms. Jones, this office will not be the least bit inconvenienced at having to backstop whatever alias is necessary should you choose to pursue the legal route. I strongly urge you to do just that. It is not something that can be ignored and it is certainly not something that will just go away."

Looking at Hetty with eyes full of fear, Nell is quickly coming to the conclusion that the team isn't going to be the issue here. She hadn't really stopped to think about Hetty's involvement and is pretty certain she is about to order her to file a report. Flashing a worried look in Deeks' direction, Nell's impending words are interrupted by his voice.

"I documented everything so far. I took pictures that night of all her injuries and I took pictures of the evidence at her apartment. While I know it's not the same thing, I figure it's better than nothing. When Nell is ready, I will be more than happy to turn over the information I have collected to the proper department." Deeks hopes that Hetty will take what he says into consideration as he too worries that a direct order is about to be issued. As much as he believes the authorities should be contacted, he well aware Nell is not ready for that step.

Glancing between the two individuals, Hetty takes another moment to collect her thoughts. "Very well. I will continue to trust that the two of you have everything under control and allow some more leeway. But be aware the moment I feel things are going awry, I will take the lead and the decision will be out of either of your hands." She gives them both a firm look as she gives her opinion. "Ms. Jones, Mr. Deeks I believe you have a meeting to arrange with the rest of the team. I called them all to ensure their prompt arrival, though I did not indicate what was on the agenda."

Watching Deeks and Nell leave, Hetty feels a mix of apprehension and relief. She is aware of the probable reactions of her team and their insistence that they deal with the problem. The only reason she agreed to let things to continue at this pace was she has no doubt the team will ensure Nell's safety. Using whatever means necessary.

Leaving Nell in the conference room, Deeks makes his way back to the bullpen area. Hearing murmuring coming from the others, he enters trying to appear as relaxed as he can. The problem is his team can see the tension. It's not something that anyone else would have picked up on, but this team is too close to not be able to see subtle changes.

"What's up Deeks?" Callen is the first to speak. Maybe it's because he is acting as team leader at this moment. Who knows? Looking up and scanning the desks, Deeks takes a breath as he speaks. "Hetty called you all because we need to have a meeting. Wait, where is Eric?" He looks around just noticing the technical analyst is missing from the group. Almost as if on cue, he appears out of nowhere giving a wave. "Sorry…got busy in ops."

Everyone is now glancing curiously at the detective as they try to determine what exactly is happening. "This has to do with the Nell thing, doesn't it Deeks." Sam's turn for questions, "You didn't ask where she is which means you already know. Care to enlighten the rest of us?"

What's going on Deeks?" Kensi this time. She is looking just as perplexed as the rest of the team.

Deciding it would be better to just get the conversation started, Deeks gestures for them to follow him to the conference room as he turns away from their desks taking the lead. Upon entering the room, he takes note of Nell's location. She has her back to them and is facing the window looking out like there is something completely fascinating going on out there.

Everyone sits down. Callen, apparently losing a bit of patience for the slow pace, speaks before anyone else can muster a syllable. "OK…what's going on here? Nell, are you alright?" Deeks takes a breath as he looks over at Nell wondering if she will be able to start the ball rolling on this meeting or if he should. After a brief second, he gets his answer when Nell turns to face the group.

For a group of agents who are highly trained to gauge their responses, something about the safety of the Mission allows for more reactions than would have been revealed otherwise, at least from almost everyone. Eric audibly gasps upon seeing Nell's face, as does Kensi. Sam rises from his seat and moves quickly to her side checking her injuries like they just happened. Callen, ever the professional, freezes; his face giving nothing away, but a quick flash that only his team would have caught had they not been so focused on a certain intelligence analyst.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Notes – Do I really have to admit they aren't mine every chapter?**

** Still not entirely sure how this is going to end, but I am plodding along. I am thinking this will have at least two more chapters before completion, but the ending is still as much a mystery to me as you guys so don't hold me to it. **

** As always, read and comment! I know it probably doesn't seem like a big deal, but it is an awesome feeling to get comments/reviews. Though I will say seeing the follows and favorites of my stories or myself is pretty cool as well!**

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Deeks takes note of the reactions of everyone in the room. He isn't really surprised by any of them. Eric is obviously going to react. It's not every day that he sees the same marks on his partner in crime that he has seen all too often on them. He's used to being in the safe zone and Nell obviously met with something not safe.

Kensi and Nell have become close over the last several months and have been known to get together after work almost as much as she and Deeks. He catches her eye quickly as he is scanning and he can tell she is feeling a little confused as to why Nell didn't just call her. Deeks makes a mental note to talk to her in private after the meeting, just to clear the air.

Sam is the ever present big brother. It's in his nature to make sure everyone he cares for is safe and Deeks knows he feels guilty for her being hurt even though he had no way to know she was in danger. Rushing up to her and checking her injuries is his way of making sure, for himself, that she is alright. Deeks knows Sam will do everything in his power to make sure she doesn't get hurt again.

Callen is where most of Deeks focus lands. He expected the man to at least have gone to her side along with Sam. The fact that he is completely silent and immobile leaves Deeks feeling a bit concerned. Although Callen is the smallest of the team, everyone knows he can be just as deadly. His size masks his abilities.

Deeks' focus is pulled away as he hears Nell speak, "I'm fine, Sam. Really, it doesn't even hurt too much today. At least not compared to yesterday." She lays a hand on his bicep as she encourages him to go sit down. Following his retreat, she sits at the head of the table to start a conversation that she has no desire to have.

Throwing a soft smile in the direction of Eric, she apologizes straight off the cuff. "I'm sorry I haven't talked to you guys about anything. Eric, you know we are close and Kensi, us too." Addressing Eric for now, she continues, "You are my best friend and I wanted to talk to you, but I knew you wouldn't have the information I needed." Focusing on Kensi this time, "You and I are really good friends too, Kens. I just couldn't bring you into it yet. I knew it would be too much for me to talk to you right away."

Looking between the two people she is closest with, she speaks softly. "This was hard enough without having to look at you two. I didn't want to see you upset because that would have made it much harder for me." Eric and Kensi reach for opposite hands and squeeze gently. Speaking for both of them Kensi's voice comes out strong and clear, "We understand, Nell. It's fine. Just let us know what we can do now from this point on."

Nell is aware that she needs to explain everything so the room is all on the same page. She can't just let them make assumptions. Bracing herself for the onslaught of reactions, she relays her story. She is careful to keep her gaze even and tries not to hold eye contact with any of them for very long.

After finishing her words, she sits back and waits for a moment. Watching their reactions she knows they are all trying to decide what to say. "Look you guys. I know this is a bit out of the ordinary because I am not reporting it. I need to be sure that you all respect my wishes and let me deal with this my way."

Sam is the first to speak, "Nell I get that you don't want to go there with an investigation and everything, but this guy needs stopped. What happens when he shows back up at your place? You can't stay with Deeks forever. Let Eric backstop you and we can end it now." She knows he just wants her safe, but she isn't ready for that step.

Shaking her head, she brings in information she had yet to share. "Deeks documented everything and he has it ready for if I need it. I can't deal with talking about this to a ton of people. I'm still trying to figure out what happened. And why." At this she catches Callen move for what appears to be the first time since she started the t; except he isn't looking at or addressing her.

"Deeks, you have pictures of Nell's injuries? You took down what happened and have been holding on to it?" Callen is looking an even mix of irritation and confusion. Matching gaze with his senior leader, Deeks unconsciously sits up straighter in his chair.

"That's what I was doing here that morning when you guys showed up out of the blue. I told her that I at least needed to do that if she wasn't going to report anything. I also took pictures of the wall at her apartment."

Callen is now slipping into an uneven mix of irritation and confusion. "Seriously, you only took pictures. Why didn't you call one of us if you couldn't convince her to report what happened. This guy is just roaming free thinking laying his hands on her was acceptable. Guys like that don't just stop because the woman walks away for a couple of days." Callen's voice is edging louder as the irritation takes hold firmly.

This is the exact thing Nell had worried about. She makes a motion to speak, when Deeks interrupts trying to hold back his own frustration, "It's not my place to break her confidence. I wouldn't do it when Hetty requested and I sure as hell wasn't going to because I thought you felt I should. This isn't about you, Callen. This is about Nell. If she tells me she wants to handle it her way, then that's what will happen." Deeks has now made his way to Nell's side.

Callen looks between the two as he starts to speak, but his voice is interrupted by Nell's, "Callen, please don't do this. I need you to trust that I have this figured out and I am doing what I need to in order to make it through what happened."

Locking eyes with him, she sees that he isn't backing down at all. Getting up from her chair, she moves to the door not breaking contact along the way. "This is exactly what I was afraid would happen. At least everyone else is trying to support me. You…" She feels the tears threatening to fall and leaves before finishing not wanting them to see her break.

Deeks moves to follow her, but it met at the door by Kensi and Eric. "Let us go Deeks. It will give us a chance to talk to her." Sensing their need to reconnect with their friend, he nods as he moves away from the door.

Standing with his back to the table for a moment longer, he turns to face Callen who has now moved out of his chair as well. "You need to back off, man. This isn't your fight. This is hers. She has to be the one to make the decision. You keep pushing like that and she will feel like she needs to defend this scumbag. Do you really want her to end up back with him? Because I have seen it happen time and time again."

Deeks takes a step closer to Callen as he finishes the conversation. He is aware that he is probably crossing multiple lines, but right now loyalty wins out over boundaries. Using his height to its full potential, Deeks speaks evenly and with strength, "I will do whatever I need to make sure you back off, Callen. Don't push her on this. I will remove you from the equation if needed." At that, he turns around and leaves the room.

Callen turns to face his partner looking to gauge what his take is on what just transpired. Sam waits a moment before speaking, "He's got heart, man. You gotta give him that." Locking eyes with his partner, Callen shakes his head, "Heart won't fix this problem Sam and you know it. She's got to report him. Hell, at least give us his name if she doesn't want to make this some legal battle. We can make sure he doesn't touch her again or anyone else for that matter."

"No, G. Nell doesn't want it to go down like that. I hate to say it, but Deeks is right. You go all super agent on this guy and she is gonna end up back with the jerk. We gotta let Deeks stay in the lead on this." Sam braces for an argument.

"You're right, Sam. Deeks seems to have everything under control. He does have more experience with this kind of situation." Raising his hands up in mock surrender, "I'm out." Callen moves out of the conference room leaving Sam to wonder what exactly his partner is up to because that was just too easy.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes – Again with the disclaimer. Always the same thing…not mine. **

** Chapter 9 is up and running! Well, my guess is already wrong; I have at least two more chapters in mind. Now thinking it will have a total of twelve, but who really knows. Not sure why I bothered guessing as my stories seem to have a life of their own!**

** As always, read and comment! Feel free to check out my other stories if you are interested. Both are Callen/Nell centric. What Now and Drug of Choice are the titles if you are unable to access them from my profile.**

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Before Sam has the opportunity to question Callen, a case comes in. The obnoxious sound of a duck call emanates from the top of the balcony effectively tabling the conversation until later. After meeting in ops for the briefing, the team makes their way out of the Mission under the direction of Callen.

Thankful for the distraction, Nell settles into a familiar rhythm as she and Eric work to assist the agents in the field. For the most part, this case is coming together much easier than any of the other cases as of late. The hope they may make it out of work at a decent hour becomes a reality as the morning turns to mid afternoon. The case ended easily as the suspects were apprehended after one interrogation led to perpetrators turning against each other.

Wrapping up in the ops center, Eric bids Nell good night after confirming she is fine with him leaving. The feeling he has to hover was squashed earlier in the day when he saw how happy she was that everything appeared to be returning to normal; at least as normal as this place gets. After watching Eric make his way down the stairs, Nell turns and finishes her work quickly. Shutting off the equipment, she makes her way down the same path her partner took not fifteen minutes prior.

She notices the only two remaining members of the team are Kensi and Deeks. She walks over to the bullpen area to say goodbye. Looking up from her pile of forms, Kensi smiles up at Nell and makes small talk. "Hey! Enjoy being back? I know you were only gone for one day, but you aren't exactly one to just sit around doing nothing."

Nell laughs at the remark knowing just how accurate she is. "Yea. I'm secretly glad we had an easy case though. Not sure I wanted to be here all night. You know what I mean?" Glancing at the paperwork on Kensi's desk, she offers a sympathetic smile.

"Definitely know what you mean. I'm stuck here for a bit longer unfortunately." She gestures to the mess. "You good to get home? Deeks was just getting ready to leave if you need a shadow." Seeing Deeks look up from what she knows is more work than Kensi has, Nell shakes her head.

"No, I'm good. I'm just going to stop for take-out and settle on my couch with a DVD." She turns away from the desk stopping for just a minute to wave back at the two. "See you guys tomorrow!" She then disappears down the hallway and out the door.

Deeks catches Kensi's eyes, "Uhm, what was with offering my services? I have more paperwork than you do!" He points to all the forms on his desk as he waits for her response. He knows she is worried, but he also knows Nell needs to do this her way and if she needed him she would've asked.

Rolling her eyes at him knowing that he already has the answer to the question he asked, she confirms his suspicions. "I'm just worried. Alright. Who can blame me really? She is one of the closest friends I have. You've had more time to digest everything than I have." She gives him a look that shows she is still trying to wrap her brain around the news.

"She's gonna be fine. Honestly, I'm more worried about Callen than her. He wouldn't even listen to what she wanted. I warned him to back off, but I doubt he will listen. I'm afraid he's gonna push her right into this creep's arms if he isn't careful." Kensi can tell he is honestly worried at this point that Callen is going to make things worse.

The partners sit in comfortable silence for another half an hour when Kensi finally finishes up her part of the paperwork. Looking over at Deeks, she offers a sympathetic smile as she waves her hand on her way out the door. "Yea, sure! Just leave me here all alone! I'll be fine…no worries!" His attempt to make her feel bad not working as she continues out the door, he inhales deeply determined to finish his work so he can leave.

Apparently the lack of distraction allows for quicker work to be had because he finishes in fifteen minutes and is finally on his way out the door. Looking forward to an evening of surfing, he makes quick strides towards his car.

Reaching his door, he unlocks it and moves to sit down. Stopping short of sitting, he takes in the site before him. "Sonofabitch! Are you serious?" Walking over to the passenger door, he opens it kneeling to inspect the papers he left on the seat. Amongst them is the picture of Nell and her boyfriend. He notices it is now on top of the pile rather than hidden underneath.

Standing up and slamming the door, Deeks quickly walks over the driver seat and pulls out of the parking lot heading away from work. Removing his phone from his pocket, he calls the one person who can definitively give him the answer he needs. "Eric, I need your help." Explaining the situation, he makes note of the location Eric gives him and prays it isn't what he thinks.

Pulling in front of the coffee shop, his scans the crowd as his eyes land on a familiar figure. Removing himself from the car, he walks directly to the table and sits down. "What the hell are you doing, Callen?" He is pissed and Callen knows it.

Regarding the newest member of his team carefully, Callen leans forward closing the distance between the two men. "What you should have done from the beginning." It's a simple statement that leaves no doubt what his intentions are. Following Callen's gaze as it crosses the patio, he sees Nell coming out of the shop with a small bag. She doesn't realize the two men are there and they adjust their positions to avoid her quick scan of the crowd.

Locking eyes with Deeks just before he gets up to continue his surveillance of the young analyst, he speaks one last time. "What if something happens to her while you're busy making sure she is comfortable enough to report this asshole? Apparently you are willing to risk her safety, but I'm not." He leaves Deeks behind as he follows Nell's car down the street.

Slamming his hands against the table, Deeks curses under his breath. Knowing there is going to be no easy way to rein Callen in, he calls Kensi for advice. She's known him longer and can hopefully give Deeks something concrete to reach him before Nell realizes what he is doing. After talking for several minutes, he hangs up the phone and returns to his car.

He pulls to a stop in front of Nell's apartment complex and steps out of his car walking across the small path leading to the front of the building. Looking back amongst the cars, he spots Callen and refrains from approaching him. Disappearing behind the large door, he goes straight to Nell's apartment to check on her.

Callen watches the door and periodically scans the parking lot for any signs of the man who hurt Nell, but sees nothing out of the ordinary. In an instant the passenger door of his car is opened and the person is met by the barrel of Callen's gun. "Deeks, damnit! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Where the hell did you come from and why didn't I see you come out?"

Deeks shrugs and points to the building. "There are two other entrances, or exits depending the way you look at it." Looking at the man, he tries one last time to convince Callen everything is under control. "Just because you are sitting here doesn't mean he won't come in one of the other entrances. I get that you are the senior agent and I am stepping on your toes here, but you need to understand I'm not just going off half-cocked. I have everything under control, but you getting in the middle can and will throw that balance off."

Locking eyes with Callen, Deeks regards him for a second before adding a question that mirrors the one Callen had earlier. "What if she finds out you didn't honor her request and it pushes her closer to this guy because she feels like she has to defend him?" He moves to open the door and turns back adding, "Apparently you are willing to risk her safety, but I'm not." Getting out of Callen's car, Deeks returns to his and leaves Callen to absorb his words.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Notes – The characters from NCIS-LA aren't mine. Unfortunately the only characters I have been able to claim have been jerks or victims…thinking I'm getting the raw end of this deal! I claim Drew Michelson. **

** Same routine….read and review! Comments and opinions always welcome. They can shift the winds of my stories and/or give me more to work with. Let me know what you guys think!**

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Lying in bed that night, Deeks tries to come up with some way to get Callen to see he is playing a dangerous game by pushing the envelope with Nell. He knows the scenario well; too well. He lived it for years. His experiences with domestic violence give him insight that others may not have. It would be easy to jump the gun and fly off the handle with this guy; threaten to give him a taste of his own medicine, but he has seen too many women defend the man abusing them. He saw it growing up as well as through his years as an officer. Nell needs to come to this decision on her own or it will not matter in the end. Resolving to watch the situation for now, Deeks can only hope that Callen heard the words he spoke earlier and take them for what they were. He also silently prays she will see the right answer before he has no choice but to react.

Arriving at the Mission early the next morning, the team hopes for a calm and uneventful day. They all relax at their desks enjoying some much needed light-hearted bantering. Deeks is relieved to see Callen joining in freely and hopes it's a sign that he is going to back off. The morning is spent splitting their time between hand-to-hand combat training, impromptu games of trashcan basketball, paperwork, and conversation. The day is proving to be almost boring as the hours multiply and they have nowhere to be. The ops center is eerily quiet and they all decide a late lunch break will give a much needed pause to the monotony.

Taking two cars and meeting at a local restaurant, they all settle into their chairs picking up the menus placed in front of them. Sam and Callen are positioned on the outside of the circle-shaped table with Kensi and Deeks sitting on either side of the two men. The circle is completed with Eric and Nell on the inside closest to the wall. To an outsider the seating arrangement would not appear like anything in particular, but the positioning strategically places the most lethal of the team on the outside with the weakest team members securely positioned in place of safety.

Enjoying the casual pace of the meal, the team is enjoying some much needed down time. Between the humorous recounting of various sticky positions they have all been in over the years and the comfortable silence, it has indeed proven to be a good time for all involved. After settling the bill, they all rise and move towards the front door. Passing through the entrance, they hear a voice come from behind calling for Nell. "Hey! Wait up, Nell. I need to talk to you." All eyes fall on the young analyst as she turns around.

"Drew!" Her voice catches slightly as she turns around. The team all take note of her obvious discomfort at the appearance of the man. Deeks and Callen give each other a quick look and silently close ranks on either side of Nell as they recognize the man from the picture Nell gave them. Sam and Kensi follow suit standing close to their partners as they pick up on the non-verbal cues. "What are you doing here?" She asks quickly.

Looking at the people surrounding her, he speaks up. "Who are these people? Co-workers, I would assume." Giving his best smile, he extends his hand in the direction of Callen as he introduces himself, "My name is Drew Michelson. I'm Nell's boyfriend." Callen responds by crossing his arms along his chest and simply gives the man a look that tells him there is no need to continue speaking to him. Drew looks amongst the group watching them all position their bodies in various stances that make it clear he is not welcome.

He looks at Nell and then scans the members of the group before speaking again. "I have been calling and texting you for days. You haven't answered me or called back and when I saw you here it seemed like a sign. I figured we could finally talk for a few minutes." He reaches out grabbing her arm as if to remove her from the others and she instantly makes a motion to pull away. His grip tightens in response and he lowers his voice focusing just on her face. "I'll take you back to work Nell. It will give us a chance to hash things out."

Before Nell can respond, the team takes action working together seamlessly. Callen's hand grabs Drew's wrist and he quickly bends his arm behind his back in a painful position. Deeks moves Nell into Kensi's waiting grasp and she motions for Eric to follow her to the car. She pulls out of the parking lot heading back to the Mission knowing the others will meet them there. Without speaking a word, Nell was extracted from Drew's grip and moved to safety.

Deeks comes to rest in front of Drew as Callen retains the hold on him. Sam is now standing beside Callen acting as a brick wall to block anyone from getting a clear view. Closing the gap between himself and Drew, Deeks speaks calmly making his opinion known. "You will stay away from Nell. She doesn't want you in her life anymore as evidenced by the lack of returning your calls and texts; time to get the clue buddy."

Glaring directly into Deeks eyes, Drew grits his teeth as he speaks. "Fuck you, man. This is between me and Nell." Looking at Callen who gives a subtle nod of his head, Deeks grabs Drew roughly around the jaw. "You don't get an opinion, _man_. Back off and forget you ever saw her. Think of us as protective big brothers if you will. Come near her again, you will have one or all of us to deal with and I promise you don't want that." Releasing his grip with a flick of hand that causes Drew face to jerk off to the side and nodding at Callen to release his arm, Deeks backs up slightly.

Giving Drew one last look, "I'm telling you to back off. I'm not asking." Walking around Drew, Deeks moves towards the car with Callen and Sam following close behind. Sam gets into the driver's seat as Callen takes the front passenger with Deeks in the back, they watch out the back window to make sure the man doesn't follow. Seeing Drew walk towards the restaurant attempting to straighten his jacket as goes, they give it another minute before deciding it's safe to leave. They all make a mental note of the obvious irritation showing as Drew walks into the restaurant. It's obvious he isn't used to being on the receiving end of a physical confrontation.

Callen locks eyes with Deeks as he speaks, "Nice job back there Deeks. You actually made me flinch a little when you grabbed his face that hard. What do you think, Sam? Deeks give him a scare?" Callen looks at his partner waiting for a response. Grinning in the rearview mirror, Sam responds. "Maybe, so Callen. Guess we have been wearing off on him a little. Who knew?" All three men laugh as they pull away from the restaurant parking lot.

Arriving back at work, they make their way to the bullpen bantering back and forth with each as they approach the desks. Deeks stops mid-sentence when he sees Kensi's face. "What's up, Kens?" Callen and Sam turn to face the woman having been too busy bantering to notice her demeanor until Deeks spoke up. "Kens?"

"She is really mad and I'm not entirely sure why. I am pretty sure she channeled some of Callen's looks though because if one expression could kill several people would be dead right now. Eric wouldn't even make eye contact with her. I tried to talk to her, but Eric motioned for me to stop before I could say anything really. I have never seen her angry like this before." Kensi is genuinely worried and at a loss as to how they should proceed. She looks amongst her team and silently questions who's going to approach her.

"I'll go." He takes a deep breath looking at the rest of the team hoping maybe one of them will volunteer instead. Getting the distinct vibe this is all going to fall on him, he speaks again. "Do you know where she is?" One set of eyes settles on Kensi for the answer, but the stunned reaction is seen in all of their eyes as Kensi replies. "She's at the range," she replies quietly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Notes – Not mine. **

** Two in one day! Thought I would try wrapping this story up by the end of the weekend or beginning of the week. My goal is tomorrow though! **

**Hope you all enjoy! Read and review, please!**

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Moving slowly through the halls, he tries to come up with a game plan. Honestly unsure of how to proceed, he stands watching from the doorway for a moment. Knowing he is just putting off the inevitable, he walks in taking a deep breath as he goes. Standing along the wall directly behind her and watches as she raises her weapon to fire into the target. Thinking back, he tries to remember ever seeing Nell at the firing range. Drawing a blank, he slowly moves towards her as she fires her last round and places her weapon down.

Realizing there is probably no way to announce his presence without startling her, he opts to just start speaking. "Looks good, Nell." Jumping as expected, she turns around and glares at him pointedly. Kensi was right, she is channeling Callen somehow. Picking up her weapon, she goes to walk past him without saying a word.

"Talk to me Nell. Which part of what we did at the restaurant pissed you off this bad." He uses his body to block her exit, but knowing she is angry he keeps his hands to himself. Never having seen her quite like this, he really isn't sure what to expect. "What makes you think I'm mad?" She now has her free hand on her hip giving him a look that dares him to challenge her.

Unfortunately for Nell, her takes her challenge and answers her question. "Well, let's start with not talking the whole way back from the restaurant aside from some choice muttering that Kensi wouldn't even repeat. Then, we can move to the fact that you are standing here with your weapon in hand having just fired some impressive rounds into a target. I have to say I'm a little afraid to ask who you were picturing. Seriously, clue me in here, Nell." She can see the concern in his eyes, but is too mad to really care.

Standing up as straight as her frame will allow, she locks eyes with him and speaks in a tone he knows he has never heard her use. "I asked you all to back off. I told you I didn't want any of you to handle things with him. Instead of waiting to see what I would do, you guys took over. Before I could even react, Kensi was whisking me into the car. I didn't even get to say a word. How do you know I wouldn't have been able to handle myself?" He had figured she was unhappy they stepped in, but he had silently hoped maybe there was something else going on.

Completely understanding where she is coming from, he takes a deep breath before explaining their position. "I get where you are coming from Nell, I really do. You have to see from our perspective too. This guy has already abused you more than once. He was restraining you in a public venue trying to force you to leave with him. We saw you in danger and reacted in the quickest way we knew would keep you safe." He hopes she can see their side of the equation too.

Pausing to take in what he said, she shakes her head. "No, I don't see anything other than you guys took control of the situation and didn't let me try to handle it. Seriously, that would have been the best place to let me try because you could have stepped in if need be. You just took over though." Nell moves towards the door, pausing as she hears his voice.

"Do you realize it could have gone bad fast enough that none of us could have done anything. What if he had a weapon? You not only put yourself in danger to try and prove something to yourself, but you would have put a lot of innocent people in danger too. You can't predict these situations, Nell. The only thing you can do is take control at the first available moment and hope you lessen the damage done. I won't apologize for that, Nell and I'm guessing neither will anyone else." He watches as she absorbs his words and hopes they make an impact.

She leaves the room without another word as she fights against the tears threatening to fall. Damnit, was he right? Was that really the best solution? God, her head is swimming. She needs to get out of there; go somewhere she can think. Walking past the bullpen wiping tears from her face, she passes the confused agents still seated at their desks. Ignoring Kensi's calls, she walks towards the exit and finds herself driving down the road before she registers what she is doing.

Approaching the set of four desks, the inquiry comes quickly from Kensi. "What the hell, Sam? What did you say to her? You were supposed to talk to her and calm her down, not make her cry. We figured if anyone could manage that it would be you." She crosses her arms across her chest clearly frustrated having seen her friend leave so upset. Holding his hands up in the universal sign for surrender for a brief moment and then placing them at his sides, he talks quickly to dispel the assumptions being made.

"She wasn't really interested in talking. Nell feels like we took over and didn't let her handle things herself. She figured it would be the perfect place for her to take the lead and we would be there if needed." Raising his hand as Callen tries to interrupt, he continues. "I told her these situations can turn bad really quickly and we took the first opportunity to make sure everyone there was safe."

Kensi immediately feels bad for accusing Sam of saying something to upset Nell as Callen pats him on the shoulder. "You just told her the truth, man. She needed to hear it whether it was easy or not. That could have escalated quickly if he had a weapon and people could have got hurt." Deeks nods in agreement as Kensi speaks softly, "Any idea where she was going?"

Sam shrugs his shoulders as he answers, "I don't know. I have to say if she keeps her weapon in her hand, then I'm a lot less worried than I was before I saw her shoot. Girl has got some hidden skill." The rest of the team laughs at his revelation as they all sit down at their desks. "No guys, I'm serious…she's good."

Finishing out the last couple hours, they make a collective decision to have Eric track where she is after having no luck getting a response from the numerous texts they have sent. As the time stretched later, the team was getting more than a little worried. Nell would not have just ignored them and they all know that. Fearing something might have happened, they make their way up to the ops center as Eric is finishing up for the night.

Callen, going in all business as their leader, speaks with authority. "Eric, we need a location on Nell." The tech looks at the four of them and nods quickly. Pulling the information up on his computer monitor, he relays what he has found. "She's at home guys." Armed with her location, Callen calls out one last order to Eric on their way out the door. "Keep calling her Eric and let us know if she answers."

Pulling up to her apartment building, Deeks takes the lead as he can show them the quickest route having been there before. Arriving quickly, they fan around the perimeter of Nell's door two on either side. None of them stand directly in front of the door just in case. Deeks leans in to knock as he goes to call her name, but was stops upon hearing her scream. Pulling their guns from their holsters, the team silently passes directions amongst each other before exploding the door with a well placed kick courtesy of Sam's leg.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Notes – Not mine. As much fun as I have playing with them, the characters of NCIS-LA do not belong to me. As before, Drew is my creation. **

** ATTENTION – Language alert ahead. This chapter does contain swearing, so here's your warning. Hopefully, it doesn't turn anyone off of reading it, but it seemed too out of character for the bad guy to speak nicely.**

**I realize this was supposed to be the final chapter, but as the story has dictated once again my guess was wrong. While writing the chapter, it seemed to take on a life of its own and I split it in two. The next chapter will be the final one.**

** Please read and review as always. I would like to note that I was shocked to see how many comments this story has received and would like to thank each of you for your encouragement. I also would like to thank those who have followed and/or put this story as their favorite, it does mean a lot!**

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Moving quickly with Deeks leading, the team enters Nell's apartment like a well-oiled machine. Deeks moves towards the hallway as Kensi moves forward in the direction of the kitchen. Callen goes to the left checking a small room off the main entrance. Sam follows Deeks down the hallway, with one going left and the other right. Silently moving towards the door, Deeks opens it with his weapon raised and ready.

Seeing Drew towering over Nell's frame, he identifies himself. "LAPD!" Turning around Drew sees the man he remembers from the restaurant and smirks as he makes eye contact. Without warning Drew drops to the ground and pulls Nell roughly against his body. "You don't wanna do this, man! Let her go." Deeks' stance never wavers even as his heart sinks at the sight of the young analyst. She has blood running down her face and indications of several more bruises forming. The way she is wincing at the movement, he is guessing she has some damage to her ribs as well.

Hearing the exchange from the front of the apartment, Callen silently signals Kensi to stay put and give Deeks a chance to disarm the situation. Hoping Drew will give in willingly; Callen wants ensure the element of surprise in the event things go bad. Instinctively knowing his role, Sam places his body against the wall beside the doorway and remains perfectly silent as listens to the interactions. He wants to be ready to take Drew from behind if necessary and knows he can't be seen. Remaining in the living room, Callen and Kensi keep their weapons trained on the hallway ready for action.

"Where the fuck did you come from!" He gives Deeks a look of pure anger just before he turns his attention to Nell once again. "Who the hell is this asshole? He's the one you've been sleeping with, isn't he? All the late nights at the office, my ass!" He pulls his grip around her neck tighter as he moves to drag her out of the room with him while holding the gun forcefully against her head.

"Drew, be smart man. I'm a cop. Drop the gun and this is gonna go a whole lot better for you. It already looks bad holding one person hostage at gunpoint, you don't really wanna add a cop to the mix, do ya?" Deeks makes sure his voice is loud enough the others will hear him. He knows the more information they have on what is happening in the bedroom, the better equipped they will be to handle the crisis. Upon hearing Nell is being held at gunpoint, Callen and Kensi make a mental note of the change and give each other a knowing look.

Drew doesn't even seem to register Deeks is speaking and simply continues his motion towards the door. "Move the fuck out of my way cop! I'm sure you don't want my gun to accidently fire because you're blocking my way out." Seeing the slight shift in Deeks' stance, Drew continues, "Seems I'm holding all the cards in this round." He motions towards the gun held to Nell's head. "I know cops are all about not getting the hostage killed and all that. Now lower your fucking weapon and move out of my way."

Knowing his team will pick up where he left off, Deeks acquiesces. He lowers his weapon, placing it on the ground as he slides it away from himself and Drew. Holding his hands up on either side of his head to indicate surrender, Deeks speaks quickly. "Done. My weapon is down and I can't reach it. Let her go, man. This doesn't need to go any further." Deeks makes eye contact with Nell and sees the fear in her eyes. He knows she trusts him, but he is guessing she doesn't know the rest of the team is waiting in the wings.

Kensi and Callen hear Deeks say his weapon is down and get into position ready to confront Drew when he comes out the room. Sam remains in the other bedroom hidden bidding his time in the event Callen and Kensi are unable to disarm Drew. Listening for more dialogue between Drew and Deeks, the team waits for the next step.

"No way I'm letting her go. You must think I'm a complete idiot. She's coming with me and you are staying right there. Problem with you cops is your predictability. Always out to reduce the harm and all that bullshit." Drew laughs as he sees Deeks move to side giving him passage through the doorway. Wanting to make sure the rest of the team is aware of what is happening, Deeks calls out one last time. "C'mon man. You still have a chance to let her go before you walk out."

Drew laughs again as he leaves the bedroom and moves towards the living room. He keeps his body facing the bedroom as he watches Deeks follows them out. Nell is obviously struggling with the movement and Deeks tries to give her reassurance without saying a word. It's apparent she has endured a lot in the last two hours and he is kicking himself for not having gone after her. They had underestimated the capabilities of this man and it was coming back to bite them in the worst way.

Seeing him in the doorway, Kensi and Callen announce their presence in unison. "FEDERAL AGENTS!" Drew spins around causing Nell to lose her footing and leaving her struggling as all the pressure from Drew's arm is on her neck. Taking in the scene before him, Drew yells in anger. "Sonofabitch! What the hell!" He is obviously surprised, but stays cognizant enough to realize he needs to get Deeks in front of him to regain the advantage.

Adjusting his hold on Nell, Drew points his gun directly at Deeks as he tries to gain some control of the situation. "Move over their cop." Quickly using the gun, he motions for Deeks to move into the living room. He returns the gun to Nell's temple pushing it against her head roughly as he tries to determine his next move.

Deeks moves to the side of the living room close to the door. He looks at Callen as he moves and silently indicates Sam in is position and ready to disarm the man. "Drop the weapon," Callen calls in a loud voice letting Sam know Drew is still armed. Drew responds with a low laugh that makes everyone realize they failed to realize just how dangerous the man was. He could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with the men they take down on a regular basis and there would be no obvious distinction.

Kensi makes a split second decision hoping it will cause Drew to move his weapon away from Nell's head long enough for Sam to make his move. Raising her hands in the air, she holds her weapon to the side releasing her grip on the trigger. Drew watches as she places the weapon on the floor and kicks it towards the doorway. "Alright Drew. I'm just going to come over there and make sure Nell is doing ok. She's looking pretty bad right now. You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, right?"

Deeks watches as his partner moves closer to Nell and Drew, he says a silent prayer she can distract Drew. Reaching Nell without incident, Kensi leans in making a move towards her head to check the damage. As if just realizing what was happening, Drew jerks back pulling Nell violently with him. "Back off! No way in hell you are touching her. What is with you guys thinking I'm a complete idiot."

Kensi stands back to her full height and speaks, "No one here thinks you're an idiot Drew. Things just got out of control. We get that. I just need to make sure Nell isn't going to pass out or anything. C'mon. Just a quick check is all I need." She is trying to appeal to the side of him that cares for Nell; at least she is hoping that side exists. Moving forward again quickly so he doesn't have time to think, she reaches Nell and locks eyes with her.

"You're doing good, Nell. Just a little longer. OK. Just hang in there." Kensi speaks softly hoping to calm her already frayed nerves slightly. Nell nods as she tries to calm herself down as much as possible. Looking away from Nell and into Drew's eyes, Kensi tries talking to him again. "Just let her go Drew. This has gone on long enough. She losing more and more blood as time goes and she's pretty close to passing out. Let me help you."

Sam moves into position directly behind the man with a level of stealth that would have made Hetty proud. Locking eyes for a brief second with Callen, Sam focuses his gaze on the gun watching intently for the first indication of faltering and preparing to take action. He and Callen have played this scenario many times before and they both know their roles. It's just a matter of timing and they both know it.

Kensi watches Drew's non-verbal cues and it appears she is making progress in talking him down. Keeping her voice calm and soothing, she continues. "I know you don't want anything else to happen to her. It's obvious you care about her a lot and everything just got crazy. Please Drew." Deeks watches in amazement as his partner talks to the crazed psycho like he's a misunderstood victim and marvels at her ability to mask what she is really feeling about the guy.

Drew locks eyes with Kensi and in the seconds that follow everything changes.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Notes – You guessed it…not mine…at least not Hetty, Sam, Callen, Kensi, Deeks, Eric, or Nell. Dr. Kintsel is mine and I am happy to say he isn't a jerk! My first character that isn't…you have no idea how happy that makes me! I also created the alias for Nell.**

** I have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to determine how many chapters it will take to end this story. I apologize for even attempting it in the first place. Every time I think I know how things will end, another twist pops onto the page. I officially give up trying to guess.**

** This chapter will not finish the story because, well, it just seems to keep growing. I haven't found that natural end and I am too stubborn to end it before I feel it is truly done. **

** Please read and give me feedback! Anything and everything is welcome. Who knows, maybe it will change the course of the things...**

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Drew relaxes his hold on the gun just enough to give Sam the opening he needs. In a quick burst of action, Sam locks his hand around Drew's wrist slamming it painfully into his knee causing the man to scream in pain as he drops the weapon. Involuntarily having released his hold on his hostage, Kensi reaches forward grabbing Nell as she falls. She simultaneously removes her secondary weapon from the holster around her ankle and points it directly at Drew's head.

Callen closes the gap coming to rest directly in front of Drew with his weapon pressed firmly against his temple. Deeks is now standing directly in front of the door holding Kensi's weapon in the direction of Drew. He pulls his phone out and calls Eric requesting an ambulance and LAPD be dispatched immediately to Nell's address.

Callen watches as Sam pushes the man to the floor while pinning his arms behind his back. With his knee planted just between Drew's shoulder blades to hold him place, he speaks in a low menacing voice. "Stop moving unless you want to end up paralyzed." The pressure from Sam's knee gives Drew all the incentive he needs to convince him movement is not in his best interest. Having secured Drew, all attention is now on Kensi and Nell.

Callen holsters his weapon as Deeks moves towards Sam and Drew keeping the gun trained on Drew in case he attempts to over-power Sam. Dropping to floor beside the two women, Callen speaks softly to Nell trying to determine her condition. "Hey there, Nell. How you doing?" He reaches out to move her blood-covered hair away from her eyes as he looks her over. Kensi checks out the injuries to Nell's ribs and stomach by feeling as gently as possible around her mid-section at the same Callen attends to her head wound.

Drawing in a sharp breath, Nell flinches under Kensi's touch. "Damn. That really hurts." She blinks back tears as Kensi apologizes. Callen notices that Nell's breathing pattern has become more labored. She starts closing her eyes as Callen speaks up, "Nell, I need you to look at me." Locking eyes with him, Callen sees her struggling to catch her breath. He talks to her softly trying to convince her to slow her breathing down.

Kensi looks at Deeks who nods in response to her unasked question. Returning her attention to Nell, she murmurs. "Hang on. The ambulance is almost here. We just need you to stay awake. OK?" Nell tries to look at Kensi, but falls unconscious before completing the action. Immediately Kensi puts her fingers along Nell's neck checking her pulse.

"Deeks! I can hear the sirens, where the hell are they?" Looking at her partner with panic in her eyes, she pleads silently with him to get the paramedics. Disappearing out the front door, Deeks goes in search of them hoping to take a few minutes off their arrival time by leading them directly to the scene. Callen leans in closer to Nell whispering in her ear encouraging her to wake up. "C'mon, Nell. Let me see those eyes of yours. Even if it's just for second, you gotta open them up for me."

Deeks returns with the medics and they quickly make their way to Nell. In the second following, the officers filter in as well. Sam lifts Drew to his feet as Deeks leads the men to the suspect. Explaining who they are and what happened, Deeks tells the officers to keep the man in lock-up until an agent comes to transport him. After watching Drew leave in cuffs, Deeks retrieves his weapon from Nell's bedroom. Securing it in the holster, he joins Sam as they focus on the scene unfolding in front of them.

The four member team watches as the paramedics work quickly and with precision. One of the medics secures Nell's neck in a brace as the other places an IV in her hand. They place an oxygen mask over her face not worrying about the various bruises as they focus on her breathing difficulties. Asking for information from the team, they all exchange helpless glances as they realize no one has any idea what Nell endured before they arrived.

Sam, Kensi, Deeks, and Callen watch as the medics place Nell on a backboard and then transfer her to the stretcher. Following them out of the apartment, they listen as the medic calls ahead to the hospital. "White, female mid-twenties. Multiple facial contusions. Large laceration along the hairline. Breathing is labored. Several broken ribs…" The list seems to go on forever as the medic is still talking when they place the stretcher in the back of the ambulance.

"We gotta move, so if one of you is coming with us it has to happen now." The medic addresses the team as they secure the stretcher into the locking mechanism. Giving each other quick glances, Callen indicates to Kensi she should go with her. Without questioning the decision, Kensi jumps in the back with the paramedic and nods to the others as she closes the door.

Following behind the ambulance, the remaining team members brace themselves for what they will hear when they arrive at the hospital. Callen reaches for his phone calling into the ops center apprising Eric of the latest developments. Hanging up, he relays the message from Eric. "Hetty is on her way to the hospital and Eric will join as soon as he finishes the backstop for Nell's alias. She is going in as Nell Bezdec. Hetty will be her grandmother and next of kin. The rest of us are good friends. Eric said it won't take long to merge all her medical information with the alias."

They all know the routine. Protection of their identities is a crucial part of the ensuring their division stays hidden. The elite office needs to remain covered in a cloak of secrecy in order to do the tasks assigned. The aliases provided for circumstances such as these are designed to ensure questions do not arise. Using an alias will allow Nell to withstand the investigation that will be happen as a result of today's events.

Pulling into the hospital garage, the men walk in silence through the hospital corridors making their way to the trauma unit. Seeing Kensi standing alone in the waiting room, they quickly close the gap as they surround her. Deeks reaches out to pull her into a quick embrace before asking about Nell. "How's she doing?" Kensi looks up with him and he sees the tears threatening to fall. "I don't know, Deeks. It's bad."

Callen looks around trying to locate Hetty before turning to Kensi when he doesn't see her, "Is Hetty here yet?" They all hear a voice that seems to come from out of nowhere announce the presence of the person just asked about. "Indeed I am, Mr. Callen. I have spoke to the nurse and they are still working on our young friend. The doctor will be with us as soon as they stabilize her. I'm afraid we can only wait for now." She motions for them to sit in the chairs knowing full well most of them will only remain seated for a moment.

Eric arrives within ten minutes of Hetty and brings with him coffee for those who need it. Inquiring about Nell's condition, Kensi looks up from the window and offers a sad shake of her head. Callen continues pacing up and down the edge of the room and everyone is sure there will be a path worn into the thin carpet by the time the doctor arrives. Sam remains seated next to Hetty with his eyes closed as he tries to remain calm. Deeks has remains motionless staring at the door as if he is willing the doctor to walk through. Eric joins the team by sitting down across from Hetty and Sam.

Several more minutes pass and the frustration is starting to show. Callen has looked at his watch half a dozen times in just the last two minutes and looks as if he is going to bust through the doors any minute to retrieve anyone who might have information. Kensi and Deeks are engaged in quiet conversation that is obviously not about anything pleasant. Sam is now leaning forward with his elbows on his knees resting his head in his hands. Only Hetty and Eric seem untouched by the frustration; Eric because he has not been there as long as the others and Hetty because, well, she's Hetty.

Just when everyone is about to implode, the doctor walks through the door and speaks loudly, "Family of Nell Bezdec." Seeing the group all stand and converge, he moves in their direction. "Are you all family?" Taking the lead, Hetty speaks with confidently. "We are indeed all family or as close to family as Nell has, Dr…," she pauses as she reads his badge. "Kintsel. I am Nell's grandmother and these are her closest friends. You have my permission to speak freely in front of them."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Notes – Of course, they are not mine…except Dr. Kintsel.**

** Once again, I am not sure anymore how much longer this story will be before I reach the end. I am going with the natural flow of the story and it just keeps changing. Where I originally planned on ending it no longer seems to exist, so I am just letting the progression fall and seeing where it lands. **

** I really appreciate all the comments. I do consider everything you guys say and, if I think it fits with the story progression, I try to incorporate the suggestions. There have been a few things that have made me take another look and see another perspective.**

** I have had a couple people hoping this becomes a Nell/Callen piece. Honestly that was the original intent, but I really enjoyed the Deeks/Nell friendship angle. It worked really well, so I went with it. This could become a Nell/Callen piece eventually, but I'm honestly not sure where it will go. **

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Briefly considering the words of the small woman in front of him, Dr. Kintsel takes a breath before beginning. "Nell has endured a brutal beating. The external trauma is bad, but nothing that won't heal with time. She has several contusions and small lacerations on her face. There are no broken bones, but she is going to be swollen and bruised for several days. She sustained a substantial laceration to her forehead just along her hairline that required several stitches. She has bruising along various other locations along her, but those will obviously heal as well."

He pauses for a moment letting everyone take in what he has said so far. Callen speaks for everyone as the seconds tick by with no continuance on the part of the doctor. "What about the internal damage?" He locks eyes with the doctor waiting for a response. Taking a moment to look into the faces of all present, Dr. Kintsel takes another breath.

"The internal damage is extensive. She has three cracked ribs as well as two broken ones. Nell was suffering from a traumatic pneumothorax upon arrival to the unit and we placed a chest tube which allowed the air to be released making it easier for her to breathe. She has sustained damage to her spleen that we currently keeping a close eye on. It is possible she will need surgery to repair or remove the organ, but we are hoping to avoid that if at all possible especially in light of the trauma her body has already endured." Taking a breath, he continues.

Nell is showing signs of internal bruising to one of her kidneys as well. We are preparing to send her for a CT scan for confirmation and also to get a better look at her other organs. Until we confirm what internal damage we are looking at, we are keeping her in a drug induced coma. Once she has some time to heal, we will wake her up slowly. She will be moved to the Intensive Care Unit once we complete the CT scan. They have their own waiting room upstairs and they will let you know when she can have visitors. Any other questions?"

Their heads swimming from all the information and they are clearly still trying to process what has been said. The doctor gives Hetty a soft squeeze of the arm, "She's got a lot of work ahead of her. You will need a lot of patience through the next couple of days. Honestly speaking, expect her to take at least one turn for the worse before she is out of the woods. Once we get her through the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours, it should get easier. You also need to be prepared for the emotional and mental aspects of her recovery; sometimes those aspects are worse than the physical." Offering his hand to each of them, he shakes their hands before disappearing through the exit.

Kensi falls into the chair directly behind her as she takes a deep breath. Dropping in the chair next to her, Sam places his arm securely around her shoulder pulling her close to his chest allowing her to break for a moment. Deeks runs his hand through his hair and exhales deeply. The team is feeling the full impact of the guilt they carry having not been there to prevent this tragedy in the first place. Not having seen her yet, Eric looks lost as he realizes just how serious her injuries are.

Hetty locks eyes with Callen as she speaks, "Mr. Callen. I need to return to the Mission and arrange transfer for Mr. Michelson. I will speak to the hospital staff and ensure each of you will be granted full access once Ms. Jones is settled in her room." Callen nods afraid to try his voice at the moment. The injuries Nell sustained are much worse than he had expected and he is still trying to come to grips with the last couple hours.

"Mr. Deeks, I will need you to send all the evidence you have collected to Eric. He will need to organize the file so I am able to hand it directly to the transport team." Deeks nods his head wasting no time as he pulls his phone out to starting transferring the information.

"Mr. Beale, unfortunately I'm going to have to ask you to accompany me back to the Mission. You may return as soon as the transfer is complete." Giving Hetty an incredulous look, Eric throws his hands up slightly in frustration. He wants to stay with his partner. Looking as though he might actually argue, Hetty holds her hand up solemnly. "I am aware she is your partner, Mr. Beale. I apologize, but the task will be completed much more quickly if I have my best man on it." Eric realizes she is right and acquiesces. He tells himself this is the one way he can ensure this monster is locked away for a long time; his way to protect his partner.

"Mr. Hanna and Ms. Blye, please join the others waiting for news of Ms. Jones. Call me as soon as you hear anything. Otherwise, Mr. Beale and I will return as soon as we can." The team all bid Eric and Hetty good luck as they move out the door. Exchanging quick glances, the team makes their way upstairs as they start the second round of waiting.

After about ten minutes of silence, Sam is the first to speak up. "We should have been there. This is our fault. You guys realize that, right?" He shakes his head in frustration before continuing, "We should have known he was going to do something like this, especially after the incident at the restaurant. You call a man like that out in front of everyone and it can turn south quick." Deeks lowers his head fully agreeing with Sam. He has already had the same conversation in his own head.

Each of them feels the impact of Sam's words as they get lost in their thoughts. Callen finally disrupts the silence speaking up confidently. "There was no way to predict how this guy was going to react. None of us could have known. We didn't have enough information to get a clear enough picture." Deeks looks up suddenly and starts to protest. Holding up his hand, Callen interrupts the detective. "I didn't mean to imply that had anything to do with you not telling us what was happening. We really need to stop playing the blame game and feeling sorry for ourselves. It's done. Time to move forward. Nell is going to need us."

Before anyone else could speak, they hear a nurse call for the family of Nell Bezdec. They all rise and move towards the desk as a collective group. "I'm afraid only one of you can go back at a time." Looking amongst each other, they automatically default to Callen for the final decision. Already having decided he is taking the overnight regardless of hospital policy, he nods in Sam's direction knowing the former SEAL feels the guiltiest out of their team. It will allow him a chance to atone for his supposed sin and start the process of forgiving himself. Callen knows Sam well enough to recognize it is imperative he get this chance as soon as possible to prevent the thoughts from festering any longer.

One by one, the team makes their way back to see the young analyst. Having returned a short time ago, Eric and Hetty also take a few minutes to see Nell. Watching Eric come out of the automatic doors leading from the ICU, Callen is taken aback by his appearance. Eric has lost so much color it looks like he may pass out at any minute. Rising from his seat, Callen closes the gap between them and sits with Eric in the nearby chairs.

"Take it easy, Eric. I need you to breathe deeply before you pass out." Callen encourages him through demonstrating the technique. The color starts returning to Eric's face after a few minutes. Looking Callen in the eyes, Eric speaks quietly. "I didn't expect everything I saw in there. I mean I heard the doctor say she was bad, but there was no real way I could have prepared for how she looked. How did she to do it, Callen? How did she not give up after everything he must have done to her?"

Seeing the tears gather in Eric's eyes, Callen leans in giving him a brief hug. Not a typical Callen reaction, but he knows Eric needs the comfort. Pulling away, Callen locks eyes with him before speaking. "Because she's one of us, Eric. Nell's tougher than any of us gave her credit for. She tried to tell us to back off and let her handle things, but we didn't listen. Unfortunately we underestimated her just as much as we underestimated him. She took a bad situation and did whatever she had to do in order to survive."

Nodding his head, Eric knows Callen is right. Both men stand as Eric moves to leave. "Call me if anything changes. Ok?" He knows Eric is worried Nell will take a turn for the worse overnight. The doctors have all warned them the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours were going to be critical and if anything was going to happen it was likely going to be during that first night. Callen nods his head, "She's gonna be fine, but I will call if anything changes. Try to get some sleep, Eric."

Watching him walk away, Callen turns to go through the automatic doors. Well aware, visiting hours just ended he anticipates the nurses stopping him before he can make it to her room. After making it there with no problems, Callen remembers Hetty saying she would make arrangements for them to have full access. Apparently, she did not have any issues making sure the staff understood the instructions. Turning the corner to go into Nell's room, Callen freezes at the sight in front of him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Notes – Not mine…at least not Sam, Callen, Kensi, Deeks, Hetty or Eric. The hospital staff is mine. **

** Honestly, not sure I like this chapter. Here it is though. Please read and review. My idea seemed sound going into this one, but it doesn't seem to me it transferred well onto the computer. Maybe it's just me though.**

** Once again, I have given up trying to guess when this story will end. My other stories have a definite end (though I haven't finished the middle quite yet), but this one seems have more to say.**

** Hope you enjoy.**

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Looking into the room, Callen sees a very different version of Nell than any of them would have ever imagined seeing. He now understands why Eric was so pale when he came back into the waiting room. Callen could have never prepared himself for what he encountered when he walked through the open door even though he had been there with her as everything happened.

Her face has several bruises that are taking shape and he notices a few cuts along her cheek. He makes a mental note of the swelling along her face and realizes it all seems to be on one side. Her eye is swollen enough that he doubts she will be able to open it much, if at all, when she regains consciousness. Her lip is split and there are several places with bruising along her cheek and jaw line.

The cut along her forehead holds eight stitches or more and his mind immediately jumps to what had caused the damage. It's an occupational hazard to want all the details and he forces himself to push aside the urge to call Hetty for the details of the investigation up to this point. He needs to be here as Callen; not as Special Agent G. Callen.

Allowing his eyes to move down her body looking at the only other exposed skin, he notices several more bruises along her arm and wonders what other damage is along her delicate skin that he can't see. The amount she went through appears to rival some of the beatings various members of the team had endured over the years and he silently promises her he will stay by her side through the healing process.

Looking around the room he notices several machines with IV lines hooked up to them. Counting the number of bags hanging from the various hooks, he wonders what exactly they are pumping into her small frame. The nurse appears out of nowhere and seems to know exactly what Callen is thinking. He is guessing this is an all too common scenario for her.

Pointing to each bag, she explains the contents to him. Inquiring as to how Nell is doing in regards to the spleen injury, he is disheartened to hear that it is still touch and go. They won't really know much until forty-eight hours has passed. He watches as she checks Nell's vitals and unknowingly holds his breath waiting for some sign she is still stable. The nurse smiles in his direction and he relaxes slightly.

Sitting down in the chair beside her, Callen is overwhelmed by his own feelings of guilt. Despite what he had said to the team, he is second-guessing every aspect of how he handled the last few days. It is a dangerous game to play, the what-if game, but he finds it nearly impossible to avoid. Even though he is certain none of them could have accurately predicted what happened, he still feels like he should have seen something.

The fact that none of them even had even considered this outcome was possible should comfort him. His team is the best of the best. They can read people like no other and they are rarely off on their assessments. If anyone had thought this was possible, then it would have been brought up and they would have adjusted accordingly. None of them predicted it though, which leaves him questioning what they had missed.

It all comes down to not having enough information and he knows that. They made their predictions based on what little they had to go on coupled with the predictability of abusers. It makes him even more grateful for the work that Nell and Eric do because they really are the ones that keep the team safe. If they didn't find all the information needed, then this outcome would happen more often.

Refocusing on Nell's frame, Callen sits silently for a few minutes before he begins to speak softly to her. "Hey." He is struck with how uncomfortable he feels in this moment and makes himself take a breath in an attempt to relax. Feeling the need to purge his guilt, Callen hopes an apology will allow him to move past the awkwardness he is feeling. "I'm sorry, Nell. We should have known something was up and watched out for you better, especially after we confronted him like we did."

Not really knowing what else to do Callen reaches for Nell's hand and allows the silence to take over. He listens to the sounds of the machines as they pump various liquids throughout her body and watches for any change. While he knows she will be unconscious for the time being, he finds himself expecting her to wake up at anytime.

An hour passes much quicker than expected and the nurse re-appears in the room to check her vitals. She greets Callen with a soft smile as he moves aside giving her room to work. One hour gives way to several more as Nell passes all the hourly check performed by the nurse throughout the night. Callen finally relaxes enough to close his eyes for a short as sleep takes over.

The little bit of sleep Callen manages to get is disrupted by the shriek of several monitors. Jumping at the noise, he quickly recovers and stands next to Nell while looking at the various machines wishing he had more knowledge than he does. His thought process is disrupted by the sudden arrival of the nurse as she looks for the source of the noise. Watching her motions, Callen is immediately put on alert by the tension he feels from her actions.

The nurse shuts off the alarms to the monitors in question and looks over at Callen as she calls for another nurse to join them in the room. "One of the alarms was just to let us know the fluids she is getting are low and we need to get another bag hung." The other nurse arrives before she can finish explaining the reason for the second intrusion. Upon hearing the nurse request the doctor be paged immediately, Callen speaks. "What is happening?"

Not really knowing how much she should explain, the nurse gives Callen a sad smile. "I can't really go into any details with you. You'll have to wait for the doctor to talk to you. I'm sorry." The doctor arrives before Callen can protest and the room falls into chaos. Upon his arrival, the doctor asks Callen to leave while they work to find the source of the problem. Callen steps out of the room feeling completely helpless and considers whether he should call anyone else.

Deciding to wait until the doctor gives him some information, Callen is stuck playing the waiting game once again. Seeing the flurry of activity in her room and hearing the sound of alarms going on and off, he fights the urge to corner a nurse and interrogate her. After several minutes, he sees the arrival of an ultrasound machine and becomes too impatient to wait any longer.

Coming back into the room, he is shocked at the first sight he encounters. Her abdomen has been uncovered in preparation for the ultrasound. Her ribs are taped tightly and he can see multiple bruises covering the exposed skin where she had presumably been kicked repeatedly. Standing frozen in place, Callen finds his voice interrupting the doctor and nurses. "What is wrong with her?"

The doctor doesn't stop his actions or take the time to turn around as he tells the nurse to remove Callen from the room. He briefly considers arguing with the doctor's request; he recognizes the seriousness of the situation and acquiesces. He does not want to be the cause of anymore harm coming to Nell. Stepping back into the hallway, Callen waits for someone to come talk to him.

After several more minutes, the chaos greets Callen in the hallway as several people rush out of her room. The doctor comes into the hallway and pulls Callen aside as he watches Nell be moved from the room. Panic sets in as he sees the men rush down the hallway pushing her bed towards the hallway leading to the operating rooms.

Turning to face the doctor, Callen struggles to focus on what is being said. "…blood pressure dropped dangerously low…heart rate was too fast…blood in her abdomen…emergency surgery…spleen may have ruptured…no time for questions."

His head swirls as he tries to put together a coherent thought and realizes by the time he has found the ability to focus the doctor is disappearing behind the automatic doors. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turns to see the same nurse who had been checking on Nell through the night. "Do you have anyone you can call to stay with you while you wait to hear from the doctor again?"

Callen vaguely recalls nodding his head and retrieving his phone from his pocket to call Hetty. Assuring him she will contact the rest of the team, he hangs up and returns the phone its original location. He feels like his head is swirling. They have all seen way too much in their line of work and he is a bit thrown as to why this is affecting him as much as it is.

Before he has time to think anymore, he sees Hetty coming down the hall. Wondering how she got there that quickly, he walks towards her. Callen realizes Eric is with her as well. Deciding it isn't worth asking about, he meets them both in the hallway. Callen indicates they should move to the surgical waiting room. Eric sends texts to Sam, Kensi, and Deeks as to where they should meet them and then turns to Callen. "What happened?"

"Honestly, I don't even know. She had been fine all night and the nurse was pleased with how she was holding her own. Since there had been no problems, I decided to get a little bit of sleep. The next thing I know alarms are going off." Callen looks beyond Eric's shoulder causing the technical analyst to turn and see what caught his eye. Coming quickly towards them are Kensi, Deeks, and Sam.

Having the whole team together, Callen recounts the events of the last hour and they all disperse around the waiting room trying to occupy their minds. It occurs to Callen that being in a surgical waiting room at night is a surreal feeling. The place is completely abandoned and the lights are at the bare minimums. The usual hustle and bustle of the day is gone and it makes the wait seems even longer.

After what seems like forever, the doctor finally makes his appearance. The team gathers around him as he walks closer to them. They are struck by how completely unable they are to read his expressions. Once the distance is closed, Kensi is the first to speak. "How is she?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Notes – They are not mine. **

** Here we go! Let me know what you guys think. Please read and review. It would be much appreciated! Also feel free to read my other stories….What Now and Drug of Choice.**

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Taking a moment before he speaks, the doctor finally delivers some of the best news the team has heard for several hours. "She's going to be fine. The ultrasound showed blood in her abdomen and we needed to get her into surgery quickly to see exactly what damage had been done. We were able to save her spleen and that is obviously the best possible outcome. The spleen helps protect the body from certain infections, so it is always better to leave it intact rather than leave the person with a compromised immune system because we had to remove it. She is stabilized and we don't anticipate any more setbacks. We are going to let her wake up on her own, so if one of you wants to be here first thing in the morning it would be a good idea. She will likely be awake by mid-morning."

Feeling a sense of calm that has been out of reach for way too long, the team gives themselves a moment to enjoy the good news. Eric addresses the doctor first, "Can we see her when she gets back in her room?" The doctor can tell everyone is anxious to see her with their own eyes and know Nell is really holding her own.

"She's going to be in recovery for a couple more hours. Obviously it is well past visiting hours, but I will allow all of you to wait in her room until they bring her back. I only want you to stay long enough to see for yourselves that she is fine. Nell is going to need a lot of rest during the next couple weeks." The doctor makes eye contact with each member and waits for confirmation they will follow his orders.

Settling into the small room, they spread out in various locations to sit while they wait. "I should be the one who comes back to stay with her in the morning." They all look around at each other and realize he probably feels the most responsible for her at this point; especially with everything that led up to her hospitalization. Kensi responds after doing a quick scan of the faces in the room, "That's a good idea, Deeks. You stay with her for the day and keep us updated. We will all stop by after work and make sure she survived all day with you." Throwing a smirk Deeks direction, she laughs as he rolls his eyes.

Hetty nods in agreeance, "I agree with Ms. Blye. You and Ms. Jones have forged a strong friendship over the course of these events and I think it will be good if she sees you as she is waking up." The team makes small talk to keep them occupied as they wait for Nell to be brought back to the room. The nurse finally steps into the room and addresses the anxious faces. "They are bringing back to the room now. I need you guys to step out in the hall so they have room for the bed." Giving them all a bright smile, she adds. "It's a bit of a tight fit and, well, there are a lot of you."

Laughing slightly, they all stand and move to the hallway. Watching in the direction of the hallway, they wait. Again. Seeing her finally arrive, they all try to catch a peek as she is wheeled towards them. After the nurses get her settled, the team goes in one at a time giving them the necessary reassurance that all is good.

Eric and Callen are once again the final two waiting to see Nell. After going into see Nell, Eric comes out with a smile on his face instead of coming out pale and ready to pass out. She looks so much better!" Matching his smile, Callen bids the man goodbye and moves into the room himself.

Upon entering the room, the first thing he notices is her color seems to have come back almost all the way. She is still more pale than usual, but he is much more confident now that she will recover just fine. Moving towards her bed, he takes her hand and squeezes it gently. "You're gonna be fine, Nell. Deeks is gonna be here in a couple of hours." He smiles at her sleeping frame as he stands to leave. "Play nice!"

Arriving back at the Mission after only a couple hours of sleep, Callen laughs as he sees the tired bodies of the team laying their heads on their desks. "You guys act like this is the first time we have come into work with little to no sleep." The groans he receives only makes him laugh more. "Some of us actually require sleep, G." Sam says shooting him a dirty look.

Looking at Kensi, Callen inquires as to any updates that may have come in regarding Nell. "She is doing really good. No problems at all. She woke up for a brief minute earlier, but the medicine is keeping her pretty tired." They all nod at the news and settle into their desks to catch up on paperwork.

Thankfully the day is slow and no cases come in leaving the team to find ways to occupy their time as they wait for the end of the day to arrive. They are all anxious to return to the hospital and see Nell. Deeks has been calling or texting with regular updates and they are relieved to hear she has been awake for short periods throughout the course of the day.

Having exhausted all the usual techniques to occupy their time, they decide to ask Hetty for permission to leave a little early. Sam volunteers Callen for the task citing him knowing her longer than any of them. Giving a smirk, Callen stands to check with Hetty. "You guys do realize she won't mind us leaving early since there is nothing else to do around here. I don't know why you guys are so worried about asking."

Returning to the bullpen a few minutes later, Callen nods his head letting everyone know he was right. They all grab their bags and make their way out of the Mission. Having stopped in the ops center before leaving, Kensi let Eric know he was free to leave as well. Relieved at the news, Eric quickly packs up and heads to the hospital as well.

Meeting in the parking lot of the hospital, the team all go up together. Kensi texts Deeks on the way and they are happy to hear she is awake. Coming around the corner to the room, they hear Deeks bantering back and forth with Nell. Entering the room, Eric takes in the scene and decides to offer some comedy relief.

Standing up straight and puffing his chest out slightly, Eric speaks in a deep voice as he looks between Deeks and Nell. "Excuse me ma'am. Is this guy bothering you? Cause I can take care of him if you need me too." He walks towards Deeks like he is ready to take him out. Rising to his feet to match Eric's height, Deeks closes the gap between the two men.

Playing along, Deeks challenges Eric. "You really think you got what it takes, man?" Locking eyes with Deeks, Eric takes a second before replying. Taking a step back, Eric puts his hands up in the air. "Yea….well, it seemed like I had what it takes. Then you stood up." The whole room breaks into laughter.

Appearing in the doorway, Hetty takes in the scene as she watches her team. They are enjoying an easy banter and she feels very blessed that everyone seems to be making through the ordeal as unscathed as possible. She knows there is a still a long road ahead for Nell, but she also knows the men and women in the room can face anything as long as they continue to rely on each other.

~încheiere~


End file.
